Next to Nothing
by jerichosbabe
Summary: Shawn Michaels is returning to wrestling, but someone wants to stop him. Will he be the 'Showstoppa' once again, or be stopped before getting to the show?
1. Monday Morning

Disclaimer: I own nothing!! There are no created characters in this story yet, so don't sue!! I'm only borrowing these characters from Vince....  
  
A/N: Most of the people who are reading this right now probably have heard about my other fic, Stand Here With Me, but if you haven't, please check it out and review!! I hope that those who are reading Stand Here With Me enjoy this one as much as they do that one. I might start up XA/N again once I get some reviewers. So, check out Stand Here With Me, and here now is Next to Nothing. (BTW, this fic is named after a song by the band Breaking Benjamin. If you haven't heard any of their songs, you need to check them out!! They rock!!)  
  
**  
  
Shawn Michaels threw back the covers on his side of the bed. He threw his legs over the side and yawned. He turned his neck form side to side, slowly, popping it. He then picked up the boxers and t-shirt that were lying on the floor. He slipped both of them on, and turned to look at the woman sleeping in the bed with only a sheet covering her. He couldn't help but let a little smirk come across his face. She was his one true love. And that was nothing but the honest truth. There was no person in the world that he thought he could love more than his wife, Rebecca. Shawn turned and shuffled to the bathroom.  
  
He flicked on the light and absently ran a hand over his chin. He then cleared his throat and splashed his face with some water. Slender hands and silk fingers slid across his waist. Shawn knew the feeling well. It was Rebecca's embrace. He turned his head to kiss her, and that was when the phone began to ring.  
  
He gave his wife a quick peck and jogged out to answer the phone.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Shawn." A familiar voice greeted him.  
  
"Kev! Where've you been man? It's been forever since we talked!" Shawn said. Rebecca was immediately concerned. She had a hunch about what Kevin was calling for. Shawn shot a glance at his wife. The silly grin on his face revealed all.  
  
Kevin Nash and Vince McMahon were trying to get Shawn to come back and wrestle again. Shawn wanted that more than anything more at the moment, and, quite frankly, it was pissing Rebecca off.  
  
"Hold on Kevin." Shawn said, and then put his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.  
  
"Hon, they have a non-wrestling position with my name on it." Shawn said. Rebecca looked skeptical.  
  
"Shawn, you know as well as I do, that Vince will have you back in the ring in a matter of months!" She shouted. Shawn sighed. He knew. Rebecca continued. "You can do whatever you see fit to do, but just remember, you have a family to think about now." Shawn looked at her. He wanted ever so badly to get back in the ring, but she had just told him flat out that she was going to break her heart, or her, if he left.  
  
Shawn sighed again and took his hand away from the mouthpiece of the phone.  
  
  
  
"Kevin, I'll see you Monday," He said. Rebecca closed her eyes to hide the tears that were threatening to fall.  
  
"Yeah, bright and early, see ya around Kevin."  
  
**  
  
Liked it, Hated it? Let me know!! I dig reviews sucka!!! 


	2. Last Minute Things

Disclaimer: I own nobody. All people either own themselves or are owned by Vince.  
  
A/N: Check out Stand Here With Me. Nothing else that's new.  
  
**  
  
After a very eventful night, trying to get Rebecca calmed down, Shawn finally started to pack for his long days on the road. Rebecca finally relented to let him go. It was Cameron who posed as a problem now. He just couldn't grasp the concept of his father going away.  
  
"Daddy, I don't want you to go away!" Cameron wailed. Shawn took his sone into his arms.  
  
"I'm not going away forever Cameron, and besides, you'll be able to see me every week on T.V." Shawn said, looking at Rebecca, "That is if your mother lets you" He added. Cameron looked at his mother with pleading eyes.  
  
"Please mom?" He asked. Once again, Rebecca looked skeptical. Cameron did a puppy dog-face and stuck his lower lip out. Shawn smirked and did the same.  
  
"Please mom!" Shawn mocked playfully. He couldn't help but burst out laughing at her reaction.  
  
"Oh, alright, you babies." She said reluctantly. Shawn took mock offense.  
  
  
  
"Yayyyyyy!!!" Cameron shouted. Shawn and Rebecca locked eyes and for perhaps the first time, Shawn saw the fear and concern in her eyes.  
  
**Later That Night**  
  
Shawn set his suitcases down next to the door. The he stood up straight and stretched out his back.  
  
"Have you got everything you need?" she asked anxiously. "Yes, mother." He said mockingly. She didn't look too amused.  
  
"Babe, I want you back in one piece when you come home."  
  
"Wouldn't have it any other way." He said. Tears started to form in her eyes. "Hey, none of that, you hear?" She smiled slightly.  
  
"But Shawn, what if you get hurt like before? What if-"  
  
"That won't happen." He said, cutting her off. She saw in the expression on his face that he too, had thought about this.  
  
"I've got to go honey; my plane leaves in about 40 minutes." Rebecca nodded.  
  
"I know." He hugged her tightly.  
  
"I love you." He said.  
  
"I love you, too." He gently kissed her for a few seconds. She was wiping at her eyes when he broke the kiss.  
  
"Hey, I'm gonna be walking through that door when I come back-you got that?" She smiled again.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I got that." With that, Shawn opened the door and put his bags in the car. He waved goodbye to Rebecca and waved to the tiny figure in the upstairs window. Then, he got in and headed towards the airport.  
  
**  
  
Please REVIEW!! I will give you a cookie... 


	3. A ReEstablished Friendship?

Disclaimer: I own nothing yet. These people either own themselves, or WWE owns them.  
  
A/N: Sorry about the updates. I'm trying to write out the whole story before I type it out, so I know what I want to do with it. I'm not finished writing it yet, so I have no idea how long it's going to be or where it's going, but please bear with me. P.S., everyone who reviewed last chapter..your cookie is in the mail! (  
  
**  
  
On his way to the airport, Shawn couldn't help but wonder if he'd done the right thing by coming back. His car phone rang while he was getting lost in his thoughts. He picked it up.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey man, heard that you're coming back."  
  
"Hunter! Yeah, I'm on my way to the airport right now."  
  
"How'd Rebecca take that-or does she know?" Hunter asked.  
  
"Oh she knows, I'll never pull another stunt like that again. She didn't take too well to it at first, but I convinced her that I'd be fine."  
  
"You know that you're going to be with the nwo right?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Well, I'm to eventually defect to RAW because of you. And I'm supposed to join your group."  
  
"Like the good ole' days huh?" Shawn said. Hunter chuckled.  
  
"Yeah Shawn, like the good ole' days." He said. Shawn and Hunter talked for a couple more minutes then hung up. Shawn grabbed his stuff and made his way to the airplane.  
  
Once on the plane, Shawn found his seat and got everything situated the way he wanted it. He couldn't help but notice that the man sitting next to him looked strangely familiar. Apparently the man thought the same about him because he was staring at Shawn.  
  
Finally, after the plane had taken off, Shawn chanced a glance at the man next to him. When Shawn saw who it was, he turned around fully to face the guy.  
  
"Hunter, you little punk!!" He whispered hoarsely. If someone overheard, they would be bombarded for autographs.  
  
"Hey, I was in town on business, I had no clue you were on this flight!" Hunter said, feigning innocence.  
  
"Liar."  
  
"I know, but it's great to see you again! You look great man!" They talked back and forth throughout the rest of the plane ride. Shawn felt the he had re-established his friendship with his best friend. If only he knew how wrong he was....  
  
**  
  
Sorry it was so short. Hopefully the next chapter will be longer. 


	4. SetUps and Schemes

Disclaimer: I own nothing!  
  
A/N: Thanx to all those still reading and alive! Please keep reviewing!  
  
Shawn made his way to the backstage area of the arena to find his locker room. He eventually ran into Kevin who told him they were sharing.  
  
"Like the good ole' days huh?"  
  
"Yeah." Shawn chuckled.  
  
"This is like de ja vu." Shawn said. He and Kevin then ran through the details of how he was going to "re-debut" so to speak.  
  
**  
  
Rebecca turned on the TV to watch RAW. Cameron was right beside her. At the beginning of the show, a thing popped up and told everybody the Kevin Nash had a big announcement to make.  
  
"Wonder what that could be." Rebecca mumbled.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Nothing honey." She said. Just then the phone rang.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey Baby."  
  
"Hold on." Rebecca said, putting the phone down. She went into the kitchen to pick up that phone.  
  
"Hey Cameron, hang up the phone in there for me will you?"  
  
"Sure." He said quietly, because he was mesmerized by the people on the TV screen.  
  
"Why are you calling me now?" Rebecca hissed at the person on the other end of the phone.  
  
"I had to talk to you."  
  
"Had to talk to me bullshit!" Rebecca said. "You know what I want you to do-now do it!"  
  
"I'm taking it slow, Shawn still thinks we're buddy-buddy." Hunter said.  
  
"Slow my ass, make sure he's home within a couple of weeks!" And with that, Rebecca hung up. She walked back into the living room and sat down with her son to watch the rest of Raw. Her plan was going to work perfectly. 


	5. An Unwanted Surprise

Disclaimer: I still own nothing.  
  
A/N: Sorry that yesterday's chapter was so short. It was raining really bad and I wanted to hurry up and finish that chapter. Today and Tomorrow will be my prime days for updating. I might end up getting 4 chapters up today. Even more if things go the way I plan. OK, enough of my chatting, it's time for another chapter of Next to Nothing.  
  
**  
  
"Man, what an adrenaline rush!!" Shawn said once he was backstage again.  
  
"I know!! Did you see the crowd reaction?" Kevin asked him.  
  
"More like did I hear the reaction!!" Shawn laughed. Just then, a couple of WWE officials walked up to Shawn; they said he needed to know something. They walked away a little ways form Kevin and were talking quietly until Shawn started to yell.  
  
"What? Where-Where is she?" he yelled. They told him something else and his blood ran cold. He dashed into the locker room, grabbed his bag and ran back out.  
  
"Shawn what's..."  
  
"I've got to go, Kev. My mom is in the hospital."  
  
**3 Hours Later**  
  
Shawn sat next to the lifeless woman in the hospital bed. He had his head in his hands. Rebecca sat next to him, her hand on his shoulders. Cameron and Hunter were out in the waiting room, playing cards.  
  
Shawn looked up when the doctor entered the room. He cleared his throat and wiped his face. The doctor sat in a chair across from Shawn.  
  
"What happened to her doc?" Shawn asked quietly. The doctor looked at him for a second or two, then started to speak.  
  
"Someone broke into your parent's house. You mother was the only one home, for what reason we don't know, and she was attacked and hit numerous times with a sledgehammer. There was no money or anything taken. They just attacked and left."  
  
"Jesus." Shawn said. He had refrained from cussing since his son was born, and right now was no exception.  
  
"Is she going to be ok?" Rebecca asked the question that Shawn was too afraid to ask. The doctor waited for a little bit, as if considering his answer, then he spoke.  
  
"As you know, right now you and she is in the Intensive Care Unit because of the possibility of internal injuries. At this point in time, she has a 50/50 chance of living and dying. We should be able to narrow it down within a couple of hours."  
  
Shawn had been pacing the room while this was going on, but when he heard that his mother might die because of someone's incompetence, he was outraged and sobered at the same time. He had so many different emotions running through him at that moment, he didn't know what to do. His legs seemed to make the decision for him, and he kind of collapsed into his chair. The doctor got up to leave.  
  
"My prayers are with you, Mr. Michaels. If she makes it through tonight, you can consider yourself the luckiest man alive. Her injuries look pretty bad." And with that, he left. Shawn didn't know how to act, so he just sat there with a look of shock on his face. Rebecca tried to offer him sympathy, but he waved her off.  
  
"Hey, Becky, do you think that you could kind of leave me alone for a little bit?" He asked softly. Rebecca didn't look surprised.  
  
"Sure, babe, whatever you want." She said and headed for the door. While she was walking, she thought, "The more time you grieve over not being there, the more you think about your ring comeback being wrong, the sooner you're back to me."  
  
"Hey hon?" Shawn asked suddenly. Rebecca stopped and turned around.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can you send Cameron in here? I think that he needs to see her, too." Rebecca looked skeptical, but then relented.  
  
"Sure, he'll be here in a minute or two." Shawn smiled gratefully. Cameron walked into the room, not long after that. He boldly crossed the room to his father, like he was somebody special.  
  
"What's wrong with Nanna, daddy?" Cameron asked, seeing that Shawn was obviously upset. Shawn lifted his head and placed his son in his lap.  
  
"Well, Cameron, she's dying-putting it simply." Shawn said.  
  
"What does dying mean daddy?" Shawn sighed.  
  
"Well, dying is when your body is just too old to go on, so it just gives up. After that, your soul wither goes to heaven or hell."  
  
"Oh." Cameron said. His father had read him some things from the Bible before and he remembered that "hell" place. It was bad. "So she's not gonna be around anymore?"  
  
Shawn sighed again and had to bite his tongue not to cry. "I don't know." He admitted.  
  
"But daddy, I don't want her to go!!" Cameron wailed.  
  
"I don't either, son." Both then began to cry. Shawn grabbed his son and held him close. He slowly rocked both Cameron and himself to a restless sleep in the plastic, hospital chair. 


	6. Your Cheating Heart

Disclaimer: As you might've guessed by now, I still own nothing.  
  
A/N: Like I said, I hope to update a whole lot of chapters today and tomorrow. Please, please, PLEASE review!! I'd greatly appreciate it!!  
  
While Shawn and Cameron were having their talk, Rebecca and Hunter werehaving a little conversation of their own....in a storage closet.  
  
"I told you to get your point across-not kill her!!" Rebecca said in the darkness to the man right next to her. The closet was crammed and they were pushed up pretty close to one another.  
  
"Hey, I didn't know I was hitting her so hard." Hunter said in his own defense.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yeah and besides, he's more likely to come back to you now." He said.  
  
"I love the way your mind works." Rebecca said seductively.  
  
"So do I." He said.  
  
**  
  
When Shawn woke up, Cameron was still asleep on his lap and his mother was gone. He picked up a note that had been left for him on the table.  
  
Shawn,  
  
Your mom got moved into the regular part of the hospital now. She's doing pretty good. You looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you. Let me know when you get this note.  
  
Dad  
  
Shawn felt relieved. His mom was doing better and his father had finally decided to push his pride aside and come to his mother's aid. He leaned back in the stiff chair and stretched out a little bit. He winced a little when his back flared up. Cameron started to stir on his lap. Shawn looked at his watch. 12:26 AM.  
  
"Man," He thought. "Rebecca must be wondering if I was the one who died." Cameron was asleep again. Shawn couldn't help but remember how he used to be the same way when he was a kid. He picked Cameron up and headed out of the room to find his father and Rebecca. 


	7. Searching

Disclaimer: Still don't own a thing.  
  
A/N: This might end up being the last chapter today. Dunno, I might add a couple more, just depends on my mood after this. Please review, I'm begging you!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn looked in the window at his father. The once proud military man had been reduced to this. That man was in the hospital holding onto his wife and grasping desperately to save his marriage. When his father looked at him, Shawn nodded to show that he'd gotten the message. He and his father were never really on good terms since....well....they hadn't been on good terms since Shawn had decided to become a pro wrestler.  
  
With Cameron draped over one shoulder, Shawn set out to find Rebecca and, if he was still here, Hunter. He randomly selected a hallway and began to wander down it, since there was no one in the waiting room anymore.  
  
After a couple of minutes, Shawn became irritated. His back was beginning to ache a little bit and he was still no closer to finding Rebecca and Hunter. Right when he was about to say screw it and go to the front desk, a voice yelled at him.  
  
"Shawn!" It was Rebecca. Hunter was jogging behind her. Both of them looked slightly disheveled.  
  
"Hey!" Where were you guys?" Hunter chuckled.  
  
"We went down to the gift shop to buy your mom a get-well present, but when we came back up here, we couldn't find you or her!" Shawn nodded.  
  
"OK, well, I need to be going so that I can get some sleep before I catch the next plane out of here. My dad has taken over vigil for now." Shawn said, and then turned towards the entrance. Not before he saw the look of relief they gave each other, though.  
  
**  
  
Since Hunter had no place to stay in San Antonio, Shawn said it'd be ok if he stayed with them. They gathered in the living room and talked about the old days and what would've happened in Shawn wouldn't have gotten hurt.  
  
"Where do you think you'd be?" Hunter asked like a reporter would.  
  
"Well, I'd either be in two places. 1.) I'd be in the main event like I'm going to be again soon." He got a dirty look from Rebecca at that. "Just joking. Or 2) I'd be dead." Shawn replied jokingly. Rebecca joined in with the laughing. Cameron had long since been put to bed.  
  
"Well, I hate to break up this little reunion, but I do have a plane to catch in the morning. So, I should on my way to getting some shut-eye." Shawn said. Rebecca and Hunter nodded in agreement. Shawn noticed another glance go between the two, but he shrugged it off as nothing. 


	8. The Heart Break Kid and the King of T...

Disclaimer: Yup, I still don't own a thing.  
  
A/N: .............  
  
**  
  
Shawn stood up and stretched. He groaned as the little nagging pain in his back intensified. Rebecca and Hunter stood up shortly afterwards. Shawn stood there for a couple of seconds, just stretching and yawning. He saw the look pass between the two again. His mind was asking questions that he simply couldn't understand the answers to.  
  
**1 Week Later**  
  
Shawn slipped off his t-shirt and threw it next to the gym bag on the floor. He picked up the nWo shirt off the chair and put that on. Shawn watched Kevin Nash and Scott Hall begin to warm up. A small part of him still longed with the desire to return to the ring full-time. He knew that he could still "get it done" to a certain extent, but the problem that was holding him back was how long would he be able to keep it up after he returned?  
  
"Shawn?" Kevin asked for the third time, waving his hand in front of Shawn's face.  
  
"Huh? What?" Shawn asked, having just been snapped from his thoughts. Kevin smiled.  
  
"Are you ready to go?"  
  
"Yeah." Shawn said a little slowly, as if he was holding something back, then, "Yeah, let's go kick some butt!!"  
  
"Hey you leave the uh, butt-kicking to us, ok?" Scott said.  
  
"I guess I have to."  
  
"Damn straight you do." Kevin said. The threesome then made their way to the ramp. **  
  
Shawn helped Scott sit down.  
  
"Damn Austin!!" Scott said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Just calm down there, tiger." Shawn said. Kevin came hobbling up behind them.  
  
"I'll go get the trained for you two little wimps." Shawn said and smiled at the dirty looks that they gave him. He turned and walked out of the locker room and started to look for the trainer.  
  
Shawn turned his head left and right looking for the trainer. When he was there last, the trainer was all the way on the other side of the building. Now, Shawn had no clue as to where anything was.  
  
"Hey Shawn!" Somebody behind him yelled. Shawn turned around and looked in all directions to see who had called his name. He wads quite shocked to find that it was the self-proclaimed "King...of the World" Chris Jericho.  
  
"Uh, hey Chris." Shane said without much enthusiasm.  
  
"Shawn, I just have to tell you that our buddy Tripsies has just arrived here."  
  
"That's it?" Shawn said, a little surprised that Chris would bother telling him that.  
  
"No, I'm not finished! He has a girl with him too."  
  
"Oh really?" He never was the player I wonder-"  
  
"Shawn!! The girl he's with is..it's...your wife."  
  
** BTW, A belated happy birthday to Y2J. His birthday was yesterday, November 9th. He's 32!! 


	9. Thoughts

Disclaimer: I still don't own crap!  
  
A/N: I decided to be nice and add one more chapter, since I have nothing to do. I don't know how many reviews this story has, since I can't get connected right now....  
  
**  
  
Shawn heard the little voice in the back of his head start to give him hell.  
  
"Told you so." It nagged at him.  
  
"Are you sure?" Shawn asked. Chris nodded.  
  
"I'm positive. Hunter was being quite the gentleman, if you can believe that."  
  
"I'm going to try," Shawn sighed. "Show me where you saw them."  
  
"Sure, follow me." Chris said. Shawn realized they were headed for the parking lot. He couldn't help but feel uneasy. He'd seen what happened to some people in parking lots.  
  
"This is the car." Chris said, gesturing to the Lumina parked behind him. Shawn walked over to the car and peered in the window.  
  
"That's he bag alright." Shawn said. He hated to admit it, but he couldn't help but feel uneasy about this discovery. He didn't want to have to act suspicious around his wife, of all people. He had to look over his shoulder constantly at work to make sure that no one was out to get him. It was almost like a bad dream.  
  
Chris shifted his weight around. He started to look very uneasy.  
  
"You ok, Chris?"  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this." He admitted. "In that case maybe we should-"  
  
"Shawn, look out!!" Chris yelled, then took off towards Shawn. Shawn whirled around and barely missed a chair. He ducked and rolled out of the way. Chris tackled the attacker and pulled the mask off.  
  
"Stephanie!?!" Chris yelled dubiously. Shawn stood up.  
  
"You could've killed me!" He yelled. Stephanie looked awfully surprised at seeing Shawn.  
  
"I-I"  
  
"That doesn't cut it!!" Chris screamed at her.  
  
"I thought that you were Hunter!!" Steph screamed. Shawn looked at her curiously.  
  
"Why would you want to attack Hunter?"  
  
"Because of what he did to me!" She yelled. "And because he has a new girl to spite me!"  
  
"Who?" Chris asked.  
  
"I-I don't know." Stephanie admitted. Shawn shook his head.  
  
"I still need to get the trainer for the guys." He said, then helped Chris help Stephanie stand up.  
  
"Sorry." They all said. Then they dispersed. Chris followed Shawn though, since his head was throbbing with all of this newly-acquired information he'd gotten.  
  
"I knew that Hunter had a new girl, too." Shawn said. "You don't know her name either, do you?"  
  
"Nope."  
  
"A little strange that neither his best friend or his ex-wife know the name of his 'new girl', isn't it?"  
  
"You're telling me." Shawn said. 


	10. Problems

Disclaimer: I still own nothing..but I might own something soon..  
  
A/N: Ok, I have just put up 5 chapters and I got one review, which was to be expected. I need more reviews!!! Please people!! I am on my knees!!!!! If you really want me to, I can resurrect XA/N. (If you don't know what that is, check out Stand Here With Me.) Anyways, I might start that up soon, but I need reviews people!! Pretty Please?  
  
**  
  
Chris quickly led Shawn to the trainer and the made his way to the gorilla position. For the first time that day, Shawn was allowed to get lost in his thoughts for longer than a couple of minutes. He started to think about what had happened over the past 10 or 15 minutes.  
  
Stephanie had attacked him because he looked like Hunter; she said that he had a new woman but she doesn't know her name. Shawn too, had been told by Hunter that he had a new girl. It was pretty odd that neither of them knew the name of this mysterious girl.  
  
Then there was the issue with his wife. There had been a slightly different air about her lately. She seemed more distant and angry than she normally would. She and Hunter had grown quite close over the past couple of weeks as well.  
  
He didn't force himself to come to a conclusion about that. He didn't want to jump to conclusions about his wife. He wanted to be able to trust her still, but he had a bad feeling about this whole thing about her and Hunter. It seemed like there was more to their friendship than what he saw. And what about those looks they kept giving each other? He shook his head. He loved Rebecca and she loved him.  
  
So what was the problem?  
  
"Shawn, baby, I've been looking all over for you!" Rebecca said. Hunter was walking behind her.  
  
Hunter.  
  
That was the problem right there.  
  
"I've been here the whole time." Shawn said, lying through his teeth.  
  
"Oh. Well, Hunter volunteered to bring me here to watch you. Unfortunately, we missed it."  
  
"You get to see me almost every night, babe, why did you need to come see me?" Rebecca looked at her hands, then back at Shawn.  
  
"I just wanted to surprised you."  
  
"Liar." Shawn thought. "Wait a minute, why'd I think that?"  
  
"Well, I'm surprised." Shawn said instead. He turned his focus to Hunter.  
  
"What were you doing in San Antonio, Hunter?" He asked. Hunter had a small look of shock on his face for a second, then it vanished.  
  
"My sister just moved down there." He said.  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah." Shawn kind of nodded his head.  
  
"Alright then." He said, hoping that it sounded convincing. "I don't think that Hunter has a sister," He thought to himself. "He used that trick on me too many times. I've never seen her either. Her name was- wait. What was her name? Adriana?" Shawn put an arm around his wife.  
  
"Thanks for bringing her, Hunter." He said in a more Shawn-like voice. With an arm around his wife's shoulders, he walked away from Hunter. 


	11. I Win

Disclaimer: Yup, nothing is mine yet...but soon....  
  
A/N: Please review people. When I get 20 reviews, I'll start up XA/N!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn went home with his wife that night. He couldn't help but keep thinking about what (or if) she and Hunter were planning. It most likely involved him, but there was no way to be sure of it.  
  
While at home, Shawn seldom spoke to Rebecca, and consequently, she got upset. He had found the bed in major disorder, and lying in the trashcan, something he wasn't supposed to see. He wouldn't speak to her at all.  
  
He was always either training or doing something with Cameron. There was never much noise in the Michael's household. And it seemed like Monday would never come. To, Shawn at least. The only thing he wanted to do was get back on the road. To get away from her. If he could, he'd bring Cameron along.  
  
Monday did come, however, and it brought the world down on the Showstoppa.  
  
**Monday 3 Weeks to SummerSlam 2002**  
  
Shawn had made it back into a big story-line, but Hunter had ended up shoving D-X further into the ground and further in his face. He and Hunter had created that together and to do that to it..Shawn didn't want to think about what he was going to do to him. He paced around the locker room, clenching and unclenching his fists. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall paid little attention to him because they were trying to beat Cameron in a game he called, "I Win."  
  
"I win again!" Cameron shouted, scraping up all of the poker chips on the table.  
  
"How does he win?" Scott said to Kevin.  
  
"The name of the game is 'I Win' and he made it up, so he wins." Kevin said. Scott nodded. Shawn stopped pacing and looked at the clock. After Hunter had pedigreed him to the mat, it had pissed him off, to put it simply. Hunter was going to pay.  
  
RAW music and pyro went off. Shawn was at the gorilla position at that point, waiting to walk out in front of that crowd. It was like he was in a dream world.  
  
**  
  
Throughout RAW, Shawn was looking for Hunter, wanting, in fact, needing to drive a sledgehammer through his skull. Slowly, Shawn made his way out to the parking lot.  
  
"Oh, come on, Hunter!" He muttered. Shawn then felt somebody grab his shirt. He tried to turn around, but he couldn't. Shawn felt his head being pulled back and then he went face first into the driver's side window of the car in front of him. Then, everything went black. 


	12. Unexpected

Disclaimer: I will only own Adriana. Oh yeah, and XA/N!  
  
A/N: OK, due to popular demand.....*cough* XA/N is back!! But, there will be a new way of doing things for this one. Every chapter of XA/N will only have about 5 people or so, not including superstars. Now, I'm not sure how many different people we have reviewing, but whoever reviews the most, will be included most frequently. Might be a little unfair to some people and I apologize, but I don't want it to be like last time, trying to remember like 20 different names and not including everyone, so this is how we're going to do it! OK...now, for the return of the long awaited XA/N!  
  
XA/N: Rockie slammed her cards down on the table.  
  
"Three of a kind! Beat that suckas!" She yelled triumphantly. Jericho slammed his cards down and shoved his chair back.  
  
"*I* am not a sucker!!!" He yelled, then his face proceeded to turn red and purple from hyperventilating. Kazza and BlazerAkila then followed, because they had nothing that could possibly beat her. Jericho soon regained his composure and sat down again. They threw in some chips and continued to play poker.  
  
Shawn Michaels watched from a distance. He smiled as he saw Jericho's hand. He had crap, and if Rockie had another hand like she did last time, he would be toast.  
  
"Cheater." A voice said from behind him. Shawn turned and was met with the smiling face of his girlfriend, JB.  
  
"But, I'm not playing." Shawn said.  
  
"I'm not talking to you, I'm talking to the King of the World over there." JB said, nodding her head in that direction.  
  
"I heard that!" Jericho said.  
  
"So did I." Someone muttered under their breath. "So did I."  
  
Well, there ya go, that's pt one of who knows how many XA/Ns.  
  
Who is this mysterious person?  
  
Where is the Rock, Edge and whomever BlazerAkila has a crush on?  
  
Perhaps we will find out next time on XA/N!!  
  
**  
  
'Shawn, you are weak, you need my protection!'  
  
Shawn hit stop on the remote. Then he put his head in his hands. He hated to admit it, but Hunter was probably right. Shawn reached up to his face to feel the scars. Shawn was very angry at what Hunter had told said about him. He had no nerve talking to Shawn that way.  
  
**  
  
"Mr. Michaels?" A young girl asked as he was walking to the production truck. It was Sunday, almost a full week since the attack. He knew it was Hunter, but he needed proof, that's what he was here for. She looked fairly young, maybe her late twenties.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Um, I was just wondering how you were doing-"  
  
"I'm doing-" He started, but she continued.  
  
"-Since my brother attacked you." She finished. Shawn stopped dead in his tracks and shut his mouth. Had she just said brother?!?!  
  
"Your...brother?" he managed to finish.  
  
"Yes, Triple H, Hunter Helmsely, he's my brother."  
  
"Sorry, have we met before?"  
  
"No."  
  
"What's your name?" He asked curiously.  
  
"Adriana. Adriana Helmsley." Shawn smiled and held out his hand.  
  
"I'm Shawn Michaels, but I bet you already knew that." He said. Adriana took his hand and shook it.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you Shawn."  
  
"Yeah, you too." Shawn said. He kind of shifted his weight. He couldn't help but find this girl attractive. Quite frankly, he wanted to do something to really tick Rebecca off, but this was not the way to do it.  
  
"Uh, I've got to go, I have a meeting with Vince. If you ever want to talk or go get something to eat, here's my number." She said, writing her number down on a napkin she had in her hand. She handed the number to him and he ripped the napkin in half. He then continued and wrote his number down on the other side. He handed that half back to her.  
  
"I'll be sure to call you sometime." He said. Adriana smiled. They said their good-byes and headed in the respectful directions.  
  
**  
  
Shawn sat behind a huge stack of security tapes. He'd been watching them for a few hours now, but he hadn't found anything yet. He was watching one from what seemed to be Monday, when his cell phone rang.  
  
"Yeah?" Shawn said, sleepily. Right as the person started to speak, Shawn saw himself on the videotape. This was the one. Shawn felt Cameron move around in his lap. He had just started wondering how long this phone call was going to take when the news hit him. And it hit him hard. His cell phone fell to the floor as tears started to stream down his face. He was numb with shock. Shawn couldn't find the strength or the courage to pick it up again. Cameron sat up in his lap.  
  
"Dad, what's wrong?" He asked, scared to death because his father never cried unless something was really wrong. 


	13. Betrayal is a Crime Whose Punishment is ...

Disclaimer: I only own Adriana and XA/N!  
  
A/N: How was that for the return of XA/N? Hopefully good, because I have no clue where I'm going to take it from here. Rockie will be the "star" of this XA/N, so to speak because, well, she reviewed 6 or 7 times just to get this thing back, so, I think it's only fair. Now, back to XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: Rockie scraped up all of the chips on the table. Jericho looked at her with disgust. He had betted everything he had on him (money wise) and she had won it all. BlazerAkila and Kazza threw down their cards and stood up. Edge walked over from nowhere and wrapped his arms around Kazza. They started to kiss and make out, etc.  
  
"Ugh, get a room." JB said. She smiled when Kazza gave her a dirty look.  
  
"We've got one, but you are in it." She retorted. JB shook her head. BlazerAkila said her goodbyes and left the table. Rockie then scooped all of the chips into a bag so she could cash these babies in. Rock snuck up behind her.  
  
"The Rock sees that you have won a shitload of money."  
  
"It's True. It's True." Rockie mocked. Both of them walked off, laughing and holding hands. JB stood behind Jericho as he shot daggers out of his eyes at her.  
  
"Don't sweat it, Jericho." She told him. "You win some, you lose some. That's just life." He blinked and turned his head to look at her.  
  
"I guess you're right aren't you?"  
  
"Damn straight she is." Shawn said, wrapping his arms around her waist. Jericho stood up. He and Shawn shook hands. The mysterious person watched all....  
  
Rockie and Rock walked down to the main desk, too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else. A shot rang out and Rockie screamed. Rock fell to the ground.  
  
What will happen to the Rock? Who is this weird stalker person?  
  
Find out next time on XA/N!!  
  
**  
  
Hunter paced around the room, with a bloody knife in his hand. He tried desperately to remember what had gone on the few minutes before that led him to the pacing in the kitchen.  
  
They had been making love on Shawn's bed when the phone had rang and someone said that Shawn had been killed. He hadn't expected her to do this.  
  
"You killed him?" Rebecca shouted. "YOU KILLED HIM!" Hunter struck her across the face. It was the only thing that he could think of to shut her up. Her eyes welled up with tears as she stumbled down the stairs to get a hold of something, anything to keep him from her.  
  
He took the stairs down, two at a time, to keep up with her to ensure that she wouldn't call the cops. She opened a drawer and pulled out their butcher knife.  
  
"Stay away from me Hunter or...."  
  
"Or what?" Hunter sneered. "Or, you'll kill me?" The knife in Rebecca's hand trembled as she tried to fight him off.  
  
Hunter loved how he frightened her. He grabbed the hand with the knife and disarmed her, pointing the knife to her throat.  
  
"Hey Rebecca," he said, toying with what he wanted to do to her. "Guess what?" Rebecca offered no answer.  
  
"I don't work for you anymore." He said, before digging the knife into her throat, ignoring the gurgling sound it made. Her body slumped against his, until it finally fell to the floor.  
  
That's how he had ended up here. He quickly made up his mind. He started the water in the kitchen sink and rinsed the knife and his hands off under the water. Afterwards, he climbed the stairs and replaced his clothes. He threw some of Shawn's clothes on the floor and rumpled them up a little. He dried his hands on a t-shirt and threw it down.  
  
After Hunter was fully clothed, he walked outside of the huge house and left the door cracked open, before wiping all of his prints from the doorknob and everywhere in the house he could think of. He walked calmly to his car and opened the door so he could sit down. He picked up his car phone and dialed 9-1-1.  
  
"9-1-1 emergency." A lady said over the other end of the phone.  
  
"I-I just got to m-my friend's house and walked inside and, and there's- there's blood.....everywhere." Hunter tried his best panic impersonation. Apparently it worked because the lady informed him that help was on the way.  
  
Hunter hung up the phone and sat in his car, waiting for the ambulance to show up. He loved the way he thought.... 


	14. Everyday

Disclaimer: I only own Adriana and XA/N!  
  
A/N: OK, everyone reading this story right now is probably about to kill me since I haven't updated in about two weeks. Well, I apologize, but I have had a few other things going on currently, and I hope to end this story soon, because I have a new idea for a story and this idea is leaving me. Although everything that comes onto this site is also written on paper, I'm losing it before it gets to the paper, so there allies my problem. I'm very sorry about not updating, I hope to update a whole shitload tomorrow.  
  
XA/N: Now....when we last saw each other for XA/N!, Rock was shot!!!!!!! OMG, I am asking for a death wish on that one, Rockie will kill me...anyways, back to the story...  
  
"Rock!" Rockie screamed. She immediately bent down to check on him. He wasn't moving...  
  
JB, Shawn and Chris ran into the lobby to see what was going on, and when they saw the Rock on the floor, not moving, they became immediately concerned. (Wouldn't you?)  
  
After waiting for a few minutes for the ambulance, Rockie started to yell at God, for doing this to her, all the while, Rock was opening his eyes.  
  
"I swear that you have it out for me, God!! Why do you have to be so cruel to me?" She wailed. Shawn and Chris noticed that Rock was waking, but JB was too busy trying to calm Rockie down.  
  
"Why are you getting all huffy puffy at God, for he didn't do anything." Rock suddenly said into her ear. Rockie whirled around and saw that he had been wearing a bullet-proof vest the whole time.  
  
"You asshole!!" She screamed and hugged him tightly. A dark figure moved its way towards them.  
  
"Silence! All of you!" It yelled VERY loudly. Everyone snapped their heads up and were shocked, sort of, at what they saw.  
  
**Who was it?  
  
**Find out next time on XA/N!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn ended up attending the funeral of his wife. He felt that he owed it to her. After that, he remained withdrawed from most of the wrestlers. The only one he really talked to on a regular basis was Chris.  
  
"OK, Chris, climb the turnbuckle and try a moonsault on me." Shawn said. He and Chris were working on their in-ring skills. It was 3 days after Rebecca had been buried. Chris climbed the turnbuckle and executed the move perfectly. Shawn took the bump properly as well. Neither of them saw the person that was slowly walking towards the ring.  
  
"Ropes! Ropes!!" Chris yelled as Shawn ran towards him. Chris ducked and whirled around as Shawn came back. They double-clotheslined each other. (Chris clotheslined Shawn and vice versa) Both of them were very content, however, to just lie there on the cool canvas.  
  
Clapping brought Shawn out of the haze that his mind was in. He looked up to see Adriana there. Chris bolted up and helped Shawn stand.  
  
"I'm-uh-just going to leave you two alone now...." Chris said a little nervously.  
  
"Stay." Shawn and Adriana said in unison. Chris stayed put.  
  
"Is there a reason that you're here?" Shawn asked, just a little irritated that his match had been interrupted.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And that would be....?"  
  
"They're ready for you to cut the promo in back now."  
  
"Whoops." Shawn said, glancing at his watch. "Forgot about that one." He hopped out of the ring. "Thanks a lot for helping me Chris, I owe you one."  
  
"No problem." Chris replied. Shawn then disappeared out of sight to the backstage area. Chris began to study his feet.  
  
"So." He started.  
  
"So." She echoed.  
  
"How've you been doing?"  
  
"Not too bad. You?"  
  
"Same." Chris said.  
  
"Do you ever-" They said together.  
  
"You first." He said.  
  
"OK, do you ever miss us being a couple?" Adriana asked.  
  
"Everyday." He answered her.  
  
"What was yours?"  
  
"Do you ever regret dating me?" He asked. Adriana smiled.  
  
"Everyday." She told him. 


	15. Secrets

Disclaimer: I only own Adriana and XA/N.  
  
A/N: OK, this weekend has been hectic for me, so I apologize. I want to update more than I have been. Hopefully, my teachers will be nice to me and not give me much homework this week so that I can have time to update this everyday. Now, I think that I'm getting my vibe back. (Don't ask what vibe is, cuz, technically, I don't know, but this is what I'm going to use it for.) Soo, this story should have a pretty long run on it. Since, Shawn is finally back on RAW, has been for a couple of weeks....more or less a month. I might have to eventually break it in two, but that is way, way in the future. BTW, ( ) -those will mark things that happened in the past for this chapter. Now, get ready for another (short) edition of XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: OK, I believe that everyone had just snapped their heads up to see who it was that had yelled at them.  
  
Not really anybody was surprised to see who was standing there.  
  
None other than.......Eric Bischoff.  
  
All of the members in the group let out an outward groan.  
  
"Silence all of you!!" He roared. (BTW, I should warn you, I have been playing a sci-fi video game called "The Thing" and it is based on a movie. Plus, I watched the new James Bond movie, Die Another Day, so some aspects of this XA/N and those to come, will probably have strange things relating to either of those.)  
  
Two VERY tall shadowy things appeared standing next to Bischoff. Two VERY tall things with two heads each...  
  
"What the hell are those things?" Rock demands. Chris didn't seem to mind that he had used "the hell". He was a little too occupied with those teeth. Those long, sharp, pointy, deathly white teeth. Shawn, Chris, Rock and (for story development purposes, Edge, Kazza and BlazerAkila never left) Edge formed a "protective" wall around the girls.  
  
Bischoff laughed that evil laugh of his and smiled, revealing his teeth. (That would be enough to freak anybody out.)  
  
"You all are too easy to read. Your moves are too easily calculated." He said, as if he was talking to someone else other than those 8 people.  
  
"Bischoff, give it a rest, you're not a genius. Everyone knows-" JB started, but was cut off in mid-sentence and started to grab her throat.  
  
"Hey!! Knock it off you jackass!" Kazza yelled, and she did the same actions. JB started to be lifted off the ground, and her face was changing colors. Kazza kicked free of the "arm" that was holding her. Rockie was calculating distances and different scenarios for Bischoff to die in. Jericho, Rock, Edge and Blazer were doing similar things.  
  
But only one had the fortitude to try and walk up to Bischoff and slap him silly.  
  
And that person was going to pay dearly.......  
  
**OK, that's all for now. What will happen? Find out next time!!**  
  
**  
  
Chris shifted his weight. Adriana lowered her eyes. Neither one really knew what to say.  
  
("Do you love me?" she asked him.  
  
"Well of course I do, silly. What would I do without you?" He said as he wrapped an arm around her as they lay in bed.)  
  
Chris swatted the memory away from his brain. He didn't want to think about things that would never be again. Little did he know, she had been doing the same.  
  
"How's Cori?" She asked suddenly. Chris looked at her, and then realized that she had a right to know.  
  
"She's beautiful. She looks like you more and more." Chris said. Adriana blushed at the comment.  
  
"How old is she now?" Adriana asked.  
  
"She's fourteen." Chris said.  
  
"You aren't mad are you?" She asked suddenly.  
  
"I could never be mad at you for very long. I understand that we were young and stupid. After all, I was only 18 and you were 17. I just figured that if I kept her, you would come to visit sometime..." Chris said, drifting away in his thoughts.  
  
("I want to keep her Ady." Chris said, as he fondly looked at the baby girl in his arms.  
  
"I don't think we'll see each other anymore Chris, so you do what you want. My parents have already forbid me to keep her and forbid me to see you. I'm sorry." She said abruptly before turning to leave. Her words struck him like a slap across the face. She was here and then....she was gone.)  
  
Silence filled the ring area and Chris looked at Adriana with confusion evident in his gaze. She had hurt him and he still felt the after-effects from time to time.  
  
Another thought flowed into his mind about her........  
  
("If something would happen to me, like I get pregnant or something of the sort, will you be around for me?" She asked, before he kissed her again.  
  
"Babe, no matter what, I will stand by your side. Even if we broke up, I'm still gonna watch over your shoulder for you..." He said as he began to kiss her ever so more passionately.)  
  
"Hey dad!!!!!" A young woman yelled from the top of the stage. Chris smiled as he was brought out of his thoughts again. He looked at the stage to see Cori running down to see him. He got out of the ring and opened his arms. She ran right into them and he spun her around while hugging her.  
  
"Man, you seem to get bigger every time I see you!" He exclaimed as he set her down. Adriana carefully looked the girl over. She had her father's blond hair and blue eyes. But, she had her mother's figure and standing stance. Cori looked to be about 5' 4" and was wearing her hair in a ponytail. She had on a pair of some old guys jeans, (probably Chris') and a tight Fozzy T-shirt.  
  
"Who's your friend dad?" She asked. Chris suddenly remembered that Adriana was there.  
  
"OH, she, uh well,.........she's your mom, Cori." He finally managed to spit out. Cori's smile wavered a little, but her manners remained, nonetheless.  
  
"I'm Cori, but I bet you knew that already didn't you?" She said. Adriana nodded.  
  
"Your father has done a great job raising you." She said.  
  
"Well, none of the boys at school want to cross my path because I'm so intimidating to them. I suppose a mother's touch would've helped in that department." She said, with a dark tone.  
  
"Hey, how come I always miss the party?" Shawn exclaimed from the stage. Chris breathed a sigh of relief. Shawn smiled at Cori.  
  
"So Chris, who's your friend?" Chris about burst out laughing. He simply smiled. He had that question asked a lot when Cori was around. She looked no where near 14. She looked like she was about 20.  
  
"Actually, she's my daughter, Shawn." Chris said. Shawn's eyes went wide and his cheeks turned colors.  
  
"OK, then." He said before turning to Adriana, feeling like a complete jackass.  
  
**There Will be a part 2 to this chapter cuz it's too darn long for me to type in one sitting!** 


	16. Secrets pt2

Disclaimer: Yeah, All I own is Adriana, Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Homework SUCKS!! I still have a lot of crap to do homework-wise, but I thought that I would be nice and at least try to squeeze a chapter in. I am totally drowning in homework. Tomorrow (Saturday in the US) will be my prime day for updates. I'm hoping to get at least 3-4 chapters up, so watch out!  
  
XA/N: Last time, Bischoff showed up with his "hell hounds" JB was being strangled by an "arm" and someone was about to go up and beat the crap out of Eric.  
  
The one person who had the fortitude ran up to Bischoff and started to lay hard punches into the man.  
  
That person was Shawn Michaels.  
  
The "hell hounds" didn't agree with that kind of behavior at all. Therefore, they started to bark and try to bite Shawn. This distracted Eric and the "arm" released JB. Rockie, Blazer, and Kazza checked on her while the guys were trying to get Shawn away from Eric. Shawn was still beating up Eric, when one of the dogs jumped on him and dug it's claws into his back. Shawn yelped with pain.  
  
The guys could wait no longer to help Shawn. All of them ran in there and yanked the dog off of him. They then drug Shawn away from Eric and stood near JB. Eric quickly regained his composure and decided on their punishment. He hit a button on a remote that he pretty much made from thin air. The ground beneath the whole group crumbled, leaving them to fall..and fall....and fall...........  
  
To be continued...  
  
**  
  
Shawn stood by Adriana and looked over Cori. She, apparently, was doing the same thing to him. Chris noticed a little of this, but was too occupied on how he was going to tell Shawn that he and Adriana had once.....well....you know and this child had been born?  
  
"So Chris, whose daughter is she?" Shawn asked. Chris kind of lowered his eyes for a minute and then looked at Adriana.  
  
"I am." Adriana said softly. Shawn's eyes went wide. If his jaw wouldn't have been attached to his face, then it would've hit the floor.  
  
"You mean you.....and....her..?" Shawn's mouth couldn't find the right words to say.  
  
"Maybe you should sit down." Chris suggested. Shawn sat on the ring apron and waited for Chris to explain why he didn't understand a thing that was going on.  
  
"You see, Adriana and I used to date way back when we were in high school. I was 18 and she was 17. We thought that we were in love, so we did it. Turns out that she got pregnant, and her parents forbid for her to ever see me, or talk to me again. After she had the baby, she ended up having to hand it over to me because her parents wouldn't let her keep it." Chris said. Shawn looked kind of dazed.  
  
"Does Hunter know about any of this?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Only the part where a guy at school got me pregnant." Adriana filled in.  
  
"So, you're telling me that you two were dating, had sex, had a kid, never saw each other again until a little bit ago, and Hunter knows none of this?"  
  
"Not a thing." Chris said.  
  
"You have some guts, Chris." Shawn said.  
  
"Well, I'd better head back to the back." Adriana said. Chris nodded and waved to her as she walked back towards the stage. Shawn stood there and watched as he saw two friends of his caught up in a love whirlwind that he had once known.  
  
At once, he thought of Rebecca. He thought of her smile. He thought of her lips. He thought of the long nights that he had spent by her side. He remembered all of times that they had made love. He wished that she was here in his arms so that he could hold her and kiss her and just leave wrestling once and for all.  
  
But, he couldn't.  
  
Wrestling was the only thing good he had left in his life, excluding his son, Cameron. He wouldn't be able to leave behind all of this. Shawn couldn't help but keep reverting his thoughts back to Rebecca. Chris didn't know that she was dead yet. Besides, he needed to tell someone about it.  
  
"Chris, I need to-" Shawn started.  
  
"Hey dad, can we wrestle again for a little bit?" Cori asked suddenly. Shawn cut himself off. He couldn't help but want to see this girl wrestle.  
  
"Sure. Get in." Chris said and pulled his shirt off. Cori pulled her Fozzy shirt off to reveal her top.  
  
"Do you remember what I taught you?" Chris asked her. Cori looked at her dad and rolled her eyes.  
  
"How could I forget? You remind everyday!" She said. Shawn couldn't help but smile as he saw a common reaction form Rebecca. Shawn shook his head. He needed to get his thoughts off of her, and quick, or it was going to drive him insane. 


	17. Summerslam Just Got Personal

Disclaimer: I only own Cori, Adriana, and XA/N!!  
  
A/N: OK, I lied. I couldn't get around to updating this whole week. I have had so much homework I've had to stay up to like 12 or 1 in the morning just to finish it. All of it ends now though, because I am now on Christmas break!! WOOOO!! Anywho, I shall be updating a lot throughout tonight and some of tomorrow, then I am going to finish writing this thing. Sunday is a no-go day because my family is having Christmas then, and Wednesday is a no-go because I go to my grandpa's house. Any other day of next week and the week after though, you need to be on the lookout for updates!! Now, enough of my babbling, on with XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: Right, we ended with everybody falling. Continuing now....  
  
The group landed in a huge pool of water at the end of the fall. Bischoff's evil laugh could be heard from above, and what little light they had before was now completely gone. Everyone slowly surfaced and grabbed at the wall for something to get out of the water with.  
  
"Great, could this day get any worse?" Rockie yelled from her side of the dark, dome-shaped room. A low growl could be heard from below them in the water.  
  
"Apparently so!!" Jericho yelled and turned to try and get out of the water. Suddenly, the room was filled with bright light. Everyone froze in their spot. A huge alligator was in front of them. Something was a little evolved about it, though.  
  
"Everybody freeze!!" Kazza yelled. "It's deaf; it will only react if you move quickly!" Shawn and JB leaned on each other for support, Jericho was close behind JB, Edge and Kazza were holding each other. Rockie and Rock were holding hands, and had their eyes locked on the gator, Blazer was by Shawn.  
  
The water in the tank started to drain, causing everyone to move. You could almost hear the gator think, "Dinner is served.."  
  
To be continued.....  
  
**  
  
Shawn watched as Chris and Cori went at it in the ring. While the three of them had been talking, she had been talking to RVD. He was still there. Shawn couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about RVD being there, but he shrugged it off, nonetheless. Cori had excellent form in the ring. She was going to be awesome if she ever joined the WWE.  
  
After a couple of minutes fighting back and forth, Jericho and Cori got out of the ring and Shawn and RVD started to clap. Chris walked over to Shawn. Cori walked over to RVD and the two walked towards the back. Chris looked at Shawn.  
  
"I don't trust him with her alone." Chris said. Shawn nodded.  
  
"I can see why. She has some real potential to become a wrestler one day." Chris beamed.  
  
"Thanks. What did you start to say a while ago when Cori cut you off?" Chris asked. Shawn sighed.  
  
"I got word a couple of days ago that Rebecca was dead," Shawn started, "She was murdered. I think that Hunter did it because the two of them had a plan to get me to come back home to Rebecca by crippling me. The two were screwing each other as well. I could tell that day I went home, that's why Cameron's with me."  
  
Jericho stood there, not knowing what to say or do. Nothing like that had happened to him...yet.  
  
"I'm sorry, Shawn, I don't know what else to say." Shawn nodded, then a tear slid down his face.  
  
"She always haunts my thoughts, Chris. Everything reminds me of her. She's with me when I'm awake and she's there when I sleep. It's driving me insane. I just needed to come out with it, I guess. Sorry you had to see that.." Shawn rambled on. Chris put up a hand to silence him.  
  
"You needed to vent. So, you did. Do you feel better?"  
  
"A little, now that you pointed that out to me. I'm sorry that you had to be the one that this all fell to. Thanks for listening, though."  
  
"No problem. Now, lets go get ready for RAW." Chris said. Shawn nodded and walked with Chris towards the back.  
  
"I think that Hunter attacked me also, last week." Shawn said. "No, I KNOW that he did it, because I have the security tape." Chris looked at Shawn.  
  
"You know, I never thought that I would end up being friends with the Showstoppa' himself." Chris noted.  
  
"There's a first time for everything." Shawn said.  
  
  
  
** RAW **  
  
The RAW music and pyro went off to welcome all of the magnificent fans to another live edition of RAW!! Jericho had recently jumped from SD to RAW, so he was naturally, the first one to come out. He and Hunter exchanged words and RVD came out to start a RVD-Jericho line.  
  
Later in the program, Eric Bischoff called Hunter out to allow a satellite feed to Shawn because Hunter had been looking for the person who had attacked Shawn last week. Shawn then appeared on the screen.  
  
"How you doing, Shawn?"  
  
"I'm pretty good. Well, pretty good for somebody who got their head rammed through a car window." HHH nodded.  
  
"I know, I've been interrogating everybody. Shawn, did you see anything?"  
  
"I got jumped from behind, I didn't see a thing." HHH nodded again. Shawn was holding something back. Triple H thought about Rebecca and what he had done to her. Did Shawn know?  
  
"I managed to get a tape of the attacker, though." Shawn said. Then the security footage Shawn had been watching when he got the call about Rebecca. The tape rolled and you couldn't see anything in terms of who the attacker was. Hunter smiled.  
  
"That tape doesn't show crap, Shawn."  
  
"Yeah, but technology is great, isn't it, Hunter? I've been told that we can zoom in on that guy and check out what he looks like." Shawn said.  
  
The clip was enlarged and the crowd booed. Shawn had a ticked off look on his face.  
  
"It was YOU, Hunter."  
  
Somehow, those words struck home for Hunter. Shawn DID know that he ahd killed Rebecca. He had that look on his face.  
  
"You damn right it was me." Hunter said. "I was trying to prove that you are weak Shawn, you NEED me!!"  
  
"Well, HHH, the doctors tell me that I'll be 100% pretty soon, by, oh I don't know, say Summerslam?"  
  
"Is that a challenge?" Hunter asked.  
  
"You damn right."  
  
"Fine, you wanna fight at Summerslam, that's fine. But Shawn, what if after it's all over, you can't walk anymore? What if after it's all over, you can't pick up your son anymore? What is he going to tell the other kids in school when his dad is a cripple? What if after it's over, you can't please your wife like a man, Shawn? What if you can't please her like me? Oh, wait, that's right. You don't have a wife anymore, do you?" Hunter sneered. The crowd became unusually silent.  
  
Shawn jumped out of the chair at the last thing that Hunter had said.  
  
"Because of you!" he screamed, "Because of you I have no wife, you murdering bastard!!" The crowd was now stunned silent. Shawn rarely ever cussed on TV.  
  
"You know what, Hunter, that match at Summerslam, we'll make it a no holds barred match. This is going to be a freaking fight!! And, I'll prove to the world and my son that I'm still a man."  
  
Hunter stood in the middle of the ring like a deer standing in headlights. Summerslam had just gotten a whole lot more personal......  
  
**  
  
Liked it, hated it? Tell me what you think. 


	18. A Forgotten Memory

Disclaimer: Once again, I only own Adriana, Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Not much to say right now. I'm going to try and update as much as I possibly can over Christmas break, and I mean that. Did anybody else besides me see Confidential last week? If you didn't, you missed out on the funniest Y2J thing I've ever seen. Fozzy has made a music video for their song "With the Fire". For those of you who live in a cardboard box, Fozzy has had a new CD out for a couple of months now, and they have 4 original tracks, as well as 7 covers. The song that they have made the video for is one of their original tracks. "Mean" Gene Okerland (Host of Confidential) said that a World Premiere of the video should be airing soon. No dates were given, but all of you who haven't seen it and like Fozzy, will get a kick out of it!!  
  
XA/N: Water from the huge tank was draining, the gator was getting ready for his dinner......  
  
"Shit!" Jericho yelled. All members of the group were scrambling to try and get out of the water. So far, no one was succeeding.  
  
"Find a ledge!" Rockie yelled.  
  
"We're screwed!!" Edge yelled. Rock pointed a finger at him.  
  
"Shut your mouth." Rock said. The gator was still swimming around, trying to decide whom he wanted to eat first. The water drained a little further and an opening could be seen.  
  
"Head for the opening!!" Kazza yelled. Edge, Rock, Rockie, and Blazer were closest to the opening, so they got into it first. It was a small tunnel/ventilation shaft, so they had to go in one at a time.  
  
JB, Shawn and Chris were trying to make their way to the opening, but since Shawn was bleeding, the gator was after the weak. Jericho was looking for a way around the gator, but the damn thing took up almost half of the tank. JB was getting pretty ticked off at the whole situation, and Shawn was just trying to stay afloat. Chris made up his mind on which way he was going to go, but he would only be able to take one other person with him.  
  
"Ok, I've got an idea, but we have to hurry." Jericho said. JB and Shawn turned to face him. "We can swim UNDER the gator, but only one other person would make it. The one left behind would serve as a diversion."  
  
JB looked at Shawn and she knew what he was going to do.  
  
He wanted to be the one to stay behind.  
  
"No, Shawn. Don't even think about staying."  
  
"I'm staying whether you like it or not, JB. I'm the weak piece of meat that he wants. GO!!" He yelled.  
  
"Hurry up, or you won't be able to make it!!" Kazza yelled from the shaft. The others seconded that opinion.  
  
"Let's go, JB." Chris said. JB looked at Shawn with pleading eyes, but he didn't look back at her; his eyes were focused on the gator. JB took Chris' hand and they went under.  
  
They swam blindly forward, because neither had the ability to open their eyes under water. Shawn watched them go, and only hoped that Jericho's plan would work.  
  
A few seconds later, Jericho and JB surfaced not far from the opening. The water was still draining, making it harder to grab the edge of the shaft. Rockie and Rock, the two closest to the edge, reached down to pull them out. Chris and JB got into the shaft and looked over where the gator was. Shawn could be seen, ready to try and fight him off. JB took one last glance over, then turned to find a way out of the shaft.  
  
They all walked a little ways down the tunnel and a scream could be heard.  
  
The scream of a dying man meeting his doom.  
  
JB stopped and broke into tears.  
  
To be continued........  
  
**  
  
After RAW went off, Shawn made his way to his locker room. The "satellite feed" had only come from backstage. He opened the door and walked in, only to be met by four faces. Those of Adriana, Cori, RVD, and Cameron.  
  
"Where's Chris?" Shawn asked. Adriana, Cori, and RVD shrugged. No one had seen him, since the confrontation of Hunter.  
  
"Why are we all sitting here, then?" Shawn asked them.  
  
"We wanted to wait for you, so that you would know what happened." Cori said.  
  
"Let's go find him, then." Shawn said, then he picked up Cameron and they started to walk up and down the halls.  
  
Meanwhile, on the other side of the building, in Hunter's locker room, Chris Jericho was waiting for Hunter, and he had a little friend with him.  
  
A sledgehammer.  
  
Chris sat on the sofa and waited for Hunter to get back. He knew it was only a matter of time before he came to his locker room. He began to think about the events that had happened in the past few days. Shawn had really had a lot happen to him. Hunter had murdered Rebecca, and attacked Shawn in the parking lot. Chris couldn't help but know how angry he must be right now.  
  
Then there were his confused emotions. Chris felt a pang at his heart when he thought of Adriana. He knew that he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but still feel in love with her. He knew that Cori would despise Adriana for the rest of her life for not being there when she needed her. He could still taste the way Adriana's lips had felt against his. It had been 14 years since they had last saw each other, and he thought that he had put all of his emotions concerning her behind him.  
  
All Chris wanted to do right now, though, was rip Hunter a new asshole.  
  
Rage was building up inside him from all of the times that Hunter had done something to him, and the one time that Chris had witnessed Hunter do something to Adriana that would haunt his dreams and beg for his retaliation......  
  
*Chris walked up the front steps of the dark house. He knew that he wasn't ever supposed to come within 40 feet of this house again, but he felt like he needed to see her. Adriana was always on his mind, and Cori was the only piece of her he still had in his life. He didn't want to ring the doorbell or knock, so he snuck around to the window.  
  
Carefully, Chris peered into the dark room of the house. He knew that this was her room. Although he had only been in her house one time, he remembered the layout of it well. Right as he caught sight of the figure in the bed, the light flicked on. Chris ducked his head down quickly, to avoid being caught, but his curiosity got the best of him.  
  
Chris once again peeked into the window and saw Adriana's huge brother, Hunter standing over her bed. Chris wondered what this was all about.  
  
"Wake up, bitch." Hunter said. Adriana snapped her eyes open and looked at the menacing figure standing above her. Fear was sprawled all over her face at the recognition of her brother. Hunter locked his hands around her neck.  
  
"Who did you sleep with, Adriana?" He yelled at her. She was already gasping for air and hitting his massive arms to release her.  
  
"N-n..o-o...H-h..un...ter.." she gasped. Even at Chris' outside position, he could hear every word of the conversation. Headlights appeared in the driveway. Chris was on the side of the house, and he had walked to her house, so he was not in any danger. Hunter immediately stood up, and let go, then walked out of the room to meet his parents at the door. Adriana gulped in the air around her gratefully and rolled over to face the window. She noticed a strand or two of blond hair, and a curious blue eye in the corner of the window. Adriana stumbled to the window and opened it.  
  
"You're going to get killed!" She whispered hoarsely. Chris smiled at her and stroked her face.  
  
"I had to see you." He said softly. Then his expression turned serious. "You need to get out of here, Ady. Hunter is willing to kill you to get to me. You need to run away."  
  
"With you? They'd find me in a heartbeat, Chris." Chris lowered his head. He knew she would never step foot in his apartment again, and he had slowly come to terms about it.  
  
"I know not with me, but you just need to get away from here. Go to Hollywood, become a star like you always dreamed. I can give you a ride to the airport, at least." He offered. She looked at him, then made up her mind. She ran around her room, throwing things into her duffel bag, and then climbed out the window. The two of them then ran through the darkness to Chris' apartment.  
  
"I'll never forget you Adriana Helmsly." Chris said, taking her hand and kissing it, before she left to get on the plane.  
  
"I won't forget you either, Chris Irvine." She said, and they hugged. Chris whispered in her ear, before they pulled away.  
  
"Hunter's going to pay for what he did to you tonight. Not today or tomorrow, but someday soon." He vowed to her. Then she broke the embrace and walked onto the plane, leaving Chris alone again.  
  
*  
  
Chris gritted his teeth as he thought of the revenge that he was going dish out to Hunter. As if on a cue, Hunter then walked through the door, but by this time, Chris had positioned himself behind the door. When Hunter closed the door, he saw Chris. Chris smiled.  
  
"Say hello to your friend and mine, Hunter." He said. Hunter looked at him.  
  
"What the hell are you doing in-" Hunter said, but was abruptly cut off, by Chris hitting him in the head with the sledgehammer. It didn't knock him out, but it shut him up.  
  
"Now, Hunter, I was trying to introduce you to someone, and you don't want to meet him? That's just plain rude!" Chris said, then smiled a very evil smile. "He goes by the name of the SLEDGEHAMMER, and I'm sure he's somebody that you are well acquainted with." He said, then buried the sledgehammer into Hunter's gut a few times. "He doesn't take too well to being used, Hunter. You should be nicer to your friends...and your SISTER!!!" Chris yelled. Hunter looked at Chris in disbelief.  
  
"You?!?!" He said in shock. Chris smile only grew wider.  
  
"Yeah, Hunter, it was me whom your sister slept with. How's that grab ya?" He asked, and then buried the sledgehammer into Hunter's lower abdomen. "Hurts, doesn't it? You shouldn't hurt those around you Hunter, because sooner or later, your going to receive the beating of a lifetime over the crimes, you've committed. I can guarantee that this beating is going to be nothing compared to what Shawn is going to throw at you." Chris finished.  
  
Hunter had beaten Chris numerous times in the ring, and had seen the fire in his eyes when he was angry. Why did this fire bother him so much now? Hunter hated to admit it, but Chris had scared the hell out of him.  
  
"Chris!! Let him go!!" Shawn screamed, walking into the room. He set Cameron down, and hurried over to the center of the room, where Chris was in a rage of anger. Shawn almost laughed when he saw the looked on Hunter's face, but he didn't when he saw that Chris was seriously causing some damage.  
  
"Chris!!!!!!" He yelled again. Chris didn't stop or even break his rhythm. It was almost like he couldn't stop.  
  
"Dad?" Cori asked as she walked into the room. Chris didn't acknowledge her either. Shawn then worked to get him off of Hunter, and Cori tried to help. When Chris felt someone behind him, he stopped and whirled around to beat the officials he almost knew were going to be behind him. Instead he was met with Shawn and his daughter.  
  
Cori almost recoiled with fear at the look of fury that was etched into her father's normally relaxed features. His face was twisted into an expression that was literally indescribable. Shawn noticed that Cori had stepped back, so he stepped in.  
  
"Chris, knock it off, she's your daughter. Just calm down, you've done enough." Shawn said, holding onto Chris' arms. Chris seemed to hear him this time and his eyes returned to their normal state, instead of a fire blazing. His face muscles relaxed and he stepped forwards to talk to his daughter. Cori looked at him with a confused look in her eyes. Before Chris could begin to explain, Vince stormed in.  
  
"I want you in my office now, Chris!!!!" He yelled. "Bring Hunter and Shawn with you!" He finished, then stormed out. Chris looked at his daughter apologetically, then quietly walked out of the room, covered in Hunter's blood that he had spilled. 


	19. Never an Easy Day

Disclaimer: I only own Cori, Adriana, and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Merry Christmas to everybody!!! Welcome back Lizzie!!! I hope that everyone is ready for a new chapter of Next to Nothing!! (Sorry about the no-updates for a while, I just got my PS2, so I'll be playing my games for that now. Hopefully, I'll be able to update more often though.)  
  
XA/N: We heard a death scream, and JB started to cry....  
  
"No, JB, don't cry....." Kazza said, putting a hand on JB's shoulder.  
  
"I'll never see him again...." JB mumbled.  
  
None of the other members really knew what to do to help the sobbing girl, so they simply stood there. Jericho felt a hand on his shoulder, so he turned to face whomever was there. When he turned, he was met face-to-face with his girl from the previous XA/N (by previous, I mean Stand Here With Me's XA/Ns).  
  
He came face-to-face with Lizzie Borden.  
  
Chris had no idea what to say to her, so he simply wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, even though he was sopping wet, and well, she wasn't. (She is now.....)  
  
A loud roar could be heard in the distance.  
  
"Maybe we should get a move on?" Lizzie suggested. Everyone agreed to her suggestion.  
  
They all slowly trudged through the ventilation system. JB walked behind Chris and Lizzie, BlazerAkila walked in front of them, Edge and Kazza were in front of her, and Rockie and Rock lead the way. Every once in a while, Lizzie, or Chris would look back to check on JB.  
  
After walking for what seemed like forever, the group finally came to a junction.  
  
"Great, now what do we do?" Rockie mumbled. The group stared at the junction, as if to make a decision, then saw a figure coming up one of the tunnels. No one moved.  
  
To be continued...........  
  
**  
  
"Who started this?" Vince demanded as he walked into his office. Chris started to study his fingers. Hunter popped his neck and slouched in his chair. He knew that he'd get off easier than Chris or Shawn would. Shawn was thinking of something to say.  
  
"I know who sure as hell finished it." Vince said, looking at Chris.  
  
"I started it, too." Chris piped up. Vince was a little surprised that Chris had started the all-out brawl, but motioned for him to spill it anyways.  
  
"Over the past few days, I found something that I never thought I would. I found a friend in Shawn Michaels. Not only did I manage to do that, being friends with him led me back to my high school sweetheart and the mother to my child." Vince nodded.  
  
"The friendship all started when I saw Hunter drive up in the parking lot with Rebecca in his car. I knew who she was, but I didn't know if she was supposed to be with him or not......"  
  
Chris continued until he had told his whole story, and Shawn would chime in when he felt like something was being left out. Hunter just sat there, too dumbfounded to speak or move.  
  
"Well, I thank the two of you for your time. Chris, Shawn, you may go. I want to speak to Hunter alone." Chris and Shawn nodded and left the room. Vince breathed a sigh.  
  
"Hunter, I really don't know what to say to you, other than I'm not going to fine or suspend you yet. However, I want you to stay as far away from Chris and Shawn as humanly possible, until I tell you." Hunter nodded and Vince allowed him to leave. Once Hunter was outside the office, though, he shrugged the warning off.  
  
"There's nothing he can do to me." He thought.  
  
When Shawn and Chris left the office, they went o find Cameron, Adriana, and Cori.  
  
"What do you think Vince will do to him?" Chris asked Shawn. Shawn shrugged.  
  
"There's not much he can do, he can't suspend him, we have the storyline to play out." He said as they walked into the locker room. Chris walked in first and stopped dead in his tracks. Shawn ran into him.  
  
"What the hell, Chris?" Shawn said, then saw why Chris had stopped.  
  
Sitting in one corner of the room was Adriana. She was curled into a fetal position and her clothes were torn. Another girl, presumably Cori, was face down in the middle of the room. Only one person wasn't in sight.  
  
Cameron was missing. 


	20. This Always Seems To Happen

Disclaimer: I only own Cori, Adriana, and XA/N. Everyone else own themselves, or they are owned by WWE.  
  
A/N: Again, I apologize for the lack of updates that I've had recently, but some of that also contributes to computer problems. I'm going to try and update as much as I can. Some days, I just won't get around to doing it, and for that I apologize. A wonderful thank-you to all of the people who stuck with the story, even though I can make some pretty mean cliffhangers and not update for a while. Thanks a lot people, your support is greatly appreciated, so thank you!!! The song in this chapter is "My Goodbyes" by Saliva.  
  
XA/N: A dark figure was approaching the group from one of the tunnels in the "intersection".  
  
"Who's there?" Rockie yelled. The figure kept walking slowly and stumbled a little bit. It was clutching its right arm. Rock shifted his weight and got ready to attack, if necessary. The other remaining male members of the group did likewise.  
  
"Who are you?" JB called out. The figure suddenly stopped, as if it recognized something about her voice. JB stepped towards the tunnel. The figure was standing there, as if looking at her. Rockie stood in front of JB.  
  
"You, come into the light, and reveal yourself!" She said, making a "just bring it" motion. The figure took one step closer to the light, then remained motionless. It was evident from the outline that the light threw on it, that the figure was a man.  
  
Chris was also looking very closely at this person, there was something oddly familiar there...  
  
Lizzie let her curiosity lead her to the front of the group with Rockie and JB. Kazza and BlazerAkila soon followed. The three guys remained at the rear end of the group.  
  
All of them stared at the figure, clutching its right arm, with great interest. Finally, JB could take no more.  
  
"Who are you?" She demanded, walking up to the figure. She stopped short when she saw its face.  
  
"JB?" Rockie asked, ready to run up there and help if she felt like it.  
  
"JB?" Kazza then asked, her tone sounding a little worried.  
  
"Who is it?" Lizzie asked. JB suddenly, stumbled back into the light. Her face looked white, like she had just seen a ghost. The man walked out behind her, and his face was finally revealed.  
  
To be continued........  
  
**  
  
//Hey, precious daddy, can you hear me now?  
  
From the lost and found,  
  
Although your six feet under ground//  
  
"Oh, God." Chris said, and stumbled to the center of the room. Shawn went to check on Adriana, and then started searching frantically for Cameron.  
  
"Cameron?" Shawn asked, peeking into the bathroom. No answer. Chris sat in the middle of the room holding his daughter. He rocked her back and forth and looked at her expressionless face. Shawn had reason to think that she was dead.  
  
//In the mirror, I can see your face.  
  
It's another trace  
  
Of all the tragedy you passed down//  
  
"I'm going to look for Cameron." Shawn said determinedly before walking out of the room. He got no answer from Chris, and he didn't expect to.  
  
Shawn searched up and down for his boy. He walked all over the arena, bursting into locker rooms and storage closets, but found nothing. He had finally made his way to the parking lot, when he caught sight of his son.  
  
//There are times when I can hear your voice  
  
It's just like my voice  
  
And it still haunts me when you come around//  
  
He was awfully white and he wasn't moving. Shawn's breath caught in his throat.  
  
"God, no. Please no...." He mumbled before rushing to Cameron. Rebecca's face flashed across Shawn's mind as he made his way to the boy.  
  
//I feel like I wasted time  
  
When I didn't have you on my mind  
  
I feel like I'm all alone  
  
How could I have known?  
  
You would leave me here alive//  
  
"She had looked almost the same," Shawn noted mentally. "Only, she had a look of shock etched on her face. Or maybe...regret." It took all of his strength to not just bust out in tears at that second.  
  
"Cameron?" He asked. No response. Shawn put his hand on Cameron's chest. It seemed to be moving, but Shawn's hand was shaking so much he really couldn't tell. He picked up Cameron and ran for the entrance to the building. On the way, he had to cross the mainstream of where cars went in and out of the building. Most people were leaving, so it made it difficult to pass.  
  
//Oh my God, how did I make it this far?  
  
Why can't I be where you are?  
  
My God, I think I'm dying//  
  
Shawn darted out when there was a small amount of cars passing. A car suddenly sped around the corner, and Shawn noticed this. He made a beeline for the sidewalk. The car increased in speed.  
  
Hunter was behind the wheel of the car.  
  
//Precious daddy, can you hold my hand?  
  
Like you did back then  
  
Can you forgive me of all my sins?//  
  
"Run, Shawn. God won't save you a second time." He muttered while increasing the speed.  
  
Shawn knew that he wasn't going to make it to the sidewalk in time without getting hit, unless he dove. He ran a little longer, then dove for the concrete.  
  
//Come to me and take this pain away  
  
'Cause it's all I see  
  
It would be heavenly to see you again//  
  
His dive was a little late.  
  
The front end of the car smacked his legs as his arms reached the sidewalk. Shawn was thrown backwards, causing him to inadvertently throw Cameron back into the street. Shawn screamed in half pain, half agony as the tires of the car passed over his lower back, before quickly speeding off.  
  
//I feel like I wasted time  
  
When I didn't have you on my mind  
  
I feel like I'm all alone  
  
How could I have known?  
  
You would leave my side//  
  
Shawn vaguely noticed that his son was ok, because he was up and asking if daddy was "ok". He just laid there on the pavement as the stream of traffic died down. No one had really noticed the accident, and so none stopped. Shawn tried to will himself to move, but his legs couldn't move. His lower back seemed to be screaming for forgiveness.  
  
Shawn rested his head on the asphalt, and then slowly his mind slipped into bliss, while his son screamed at him. Someone was walking over towards them.  
  
//It all was so simple then  
  
When it all began  
  
And I was your smile//  
  
*  
  
Chris held his daughter for what seemed like a long amount of time. Her eyes were just now fluttering open. Adriana sat in the corner, trying to reconcile herself. She didn't expect Chris to come and help her. Hell, she doubted if he still really cared about her. She had lied about what her parents had said.  
  
Her parents actually wanted them to get married. Adriana didn't want to commit, though. Truth be told, she really had never loved Chris. He had been a one-night thing, and to her, had remained that way. She wanted nothing to remind her of him, and if that included their child, so be it.  
  
// But now, you're just words and stone  
  
You're just dust and bones  
  
And I'll join you there in time//  
  
Cori opened her eyes to see the face of her very concerned father.  
  
To her, that was better than the face that she had seen before closing her eyes.  
  
//Oh my God, how did I make it this far?  
  
Why can't I be where you are?  
  
My God, I think I'm dying//  
  
"Dad," She whispered hoarsely. He held her even more tightly.  
  
"Cori, I'm so sorry that you had to see me that way. I never meant to go all out like that- I didn't hurt you did I? If I-I did, then I would never be able to forgive myself...." He mumbled to her. She smiled.  
  
//Oh my God, why did you take him away?  
  
Can you give me just one more day?  
  
Of just apologizing//  
  
"It's ok, daddy." Chris smiled.  
  
"What happened to you, baby doll?" He asked, his smile now gone.  
  
//How could you take him from me?  
  
It's like you spit in my face.  
  
I've got his grandson to raise.  
  
With no grandfather to see.//  
  
"I-I was....um..." He nodded. He already knew that part. "By....R- Ro....Rob Van Dam." She proclaimed before bursting into tears. Chris turned to Adriana.  
  
"What happened to you? Couldn't you have done something?" He asked, becoming angry. Chris noticed that her clothes weren't ripped like Cori's. Hers looked like they had been shredded with scissors, speaking of which, there were some on the table to the right of her... Chris's expression turned dark.  
  
//Don't let him end up like me.  
  
'Cause he'll be down on his knees.  
  
Askin' you where could I be?  
  
I wonder what you would say?//  
  
  
  
"You just let it happen, didn't you? You WATCHED it happen, didn't you? Dammit, Adriana, she's your fucking daughter!!!!" He screamed. Cori noticed the protective tone in her father's voice. She also noticed the torn disbelief that he was trying to hide.  
  
"You let that happen to your DAUGHTER!!!! I know that you probably didn't give a shit about us, I found that out when I talked to your parents. But, she is PART of you, you could've done something, besides make it look like you were a victim too!!! You make me sick, Ady. Try to stay away from us." Chris said, standing up, and walking away from her. He was out to find Shawn.  
  
//I feel like I wasted time  
  
When I didn't have you on my mind  
  
I feel like I'm all alone  
  
How could I have known?  
  
You would leave my side//  
  
  
  
Chris held Cori in his arms for the whole walk. She didn't seem to mind after all that she'd been through. Chris went to the parking lot first, on an instinct. He opened the door to find Shawn on the pavement, with Cameron wailing next to him. Chris ran over to Shawn and set Cori down next to him. Chris tried to see what had happened, but soon gave up. He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed 9-1-1.  
  
Tonight was by far, the worst night of his entire life.......  
  
//It all was so simple then  
  
When it all began  
  
And I was your smile//  
  
The ambulance came soon enough, and loaded Shawn up.  
  
"Be careful with him." Chris warned.  
  
// And now, your just words and stone  
  
You're just dust and bones  
  
And I'll join you there in time//  
  
One of the paramedics made the comment that he looked like he'd been hit with a car.  
  
And, they doubted he'd ever walk again..  
  
//Oh my God, why did you take him away?  
  
Can you give me just one more day?  
  
Of just apologizing//  
  
Chris and Cori felt horrible for Shawn. Neither could fathom what this was doing to Cameron. He was apologizing over and over to his dad for not saving him.  
  
"Daddy, please come back....I'm sorry.." He said, as the tears just kept rolling down his face.  
  
//Of just apologizing...// 


	21. God Works in Mysterious Ways

Disclaimer: I still only own, Cori, Adriana, and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Well, as you might've guessed, I'm getting into a swing of updates now. (I have to go back to school next week, so I hope to be finished with this story by then.) But fear not, oh loyal reviewers!!! For I have another story accumulating in my head....I can't tell you any more than that.  
  
XA/N: A mystery person was about to be revealed.  
  
"JB, who is it?" Lizzie yelled at her. The man stepped out from the darkness so that everyone could see his face. It was none other than.......  
  
Shawn Michaels  
  
Shawn stepped out into the light, and kept his right arm firmly clutched. He had blood all over him. He looked like a wreck.  
  
But he was alive, and that's what counts.  
  
Everyone soon realized why JB had been so shocked when she saw who it was. Shawn was supposed to be dead, so why was he here?  
  
"How did you escape?" Rockie asked suspiciously, remembering the Lizzie clone from SHWM's XA/N. Shawn looked up.  
  
"After the water drained down a little farther, a vent on my side of the room appeared. The gator happened to catch a piece of me though." Shawn said. Another person walked up behind him.  
  
"This girl was in one of the tunnels and we started to walk around the tunnels together." He said, motioning to HBKSteph, whom was behind him. (BTW, I'm going to shorten that, and we'll call her just Steph. Sound good?)  
  
The group nodded at her, and then began to discuss which way they planned on going through the ventilation system. They all crowded into the center of the junction and began to talk about it. As they were talking, the vent suddenly closed up, leaving only the area where all of them were.  
  
"Great." Jericho mumbled. Lizzie walked over to him and he put his arm around her protectively. Rock walked over to Rockie who was trying to figure out some sort of new ninja move that would bring the doors down. Kazza mumbled something about being claustrophobic, and Edge only held her tighter. Blazer was looking for something to climb up to the vent she saw up there. Shawn and Steph were talking a lot about something and JB was listening to a strange noise. (That was a mouthful.)  
  
"Something's coming!!!" JB yelled as a rumbling became more audible.  
  
To be continued.......  
  
**  
  
Chris sat next to Shawn in one of the pink, plastic hospital chairs. Cori had her head in his lap and Cameron sat at his feet. Shawn was slipping in and out of consciousness; so there was no need to even try to start talking to him.  
  
The doctors believed that his spine was shot. None thought he would ever walk or even sit up again. Chris knew better. He knew that Shawn would make it out of this again. Hell, he'd even bet that Shawn would be up by Summerslam.  
  
Shit. He'd already forgotten about Summerslam. He knew who he wanted to challenge. RVD. RVD was going to wish he'd never met the man named Chris Irvine, but called by so many, Chris Jericho. He'd also wish he'd never laid eyes on Cori Irvine.  
  
But Shawn had a match against Hunter at Summerslam, too. Shawn was supposed to be ready and able to fight Hunter. What if he wasn't?  
  
"Chris." Shawn mumbled.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Tell me what they are saying is good." He said, referring to the doctors. Chris shook his head.  
  
"It's not. They don't think that you'll ever walk again."  
  
"Heh, they said that last time too." Shawn said, propping himself up. He then made his way to a sitting position, then finally swung his legs over the bed and tried to stand.  
  
"Shawn what are you-?!?!" Chris asked not taking his eyes on the miracle that was happening before him. Shawn was standing up, right in front of him!! The man had been hit with a freaking car!!  
  
"God works in mysterious ways, Chris. Don't ever forget that." He said, the promptly walked over to the bathroom and shut the door.  
  
Chris' jaw was almost hanging down to the floor. Had he just seen what he thought he saw? He pinched himself to make sure. Yup, he had just seen Shawn Michaels walk across the hospital room to take a leak. Chris shook his head and happened to glance out the window. He saw a woman being rushed into the hospital, and he decided to check it out.  
  
Chris walked out in the lobby and watched the scene play out in front of him. The woman was already dead. And, they hadn't rushed her in like he thought. As a matter of fact, that girl looked just like.....Then it hit him.  
  
That girl on the gurney was Adriana.  
  
Chris felt his eyes begin to sting. He walked into the group of people, and demanded to know what was going on.  
  
"She shot herself. Nice-sized bullet, went clean through her skull." One of the paramedics said. All of the harsh words he had said to her suddenly came back to him.  
  
"Was there anything with her? Like a note or something?" Chris asked frantically.  
  
"Yeah, actually there was, here." Said another paramedic. "You're name's Chris right?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Then it's for you." The guy said, handing him the letter and wheeling her away. Chris felt the hot tears streaming down his face as he walked back to Shawn's room. Cameron and Shawn were chasing each other around the room, both stopped when they saw Chris.  
  
"What happened to you, it looks like someone stole your balloon?" Shawn said. Chris ripped open the envelope the letter was in and silently read it to himself.  
  
(Chris,  
  
I know that we were never on the best of terms after I left you. I also know that you had reason to hate me. Cori hates me; I can see the resentment in her eyes. She's very protective of you; do you know that? Chris, I never meant to hurt you. But, truthfully I was never in love with you. That might be hard for you to come to terms with. I didn't feel like causing you any more pain, so I have decided to end my life here. I cheated you Chris, and cheaters must pay a price.  
  
Adriana)  
  
Chris held the letter in his hands and Shawn came over to read it. Chris couldn't help but feel guilty. The pain he was feeling wasn't that huge. It was only a little sad to him. He knew that was horrible, but he did, and he said so. Shawn shrugged it off.  
  
"Some people can let go faster than others, it's a fact of life." Shawn said, then started to chase Cameron around again. Chris sat down in the chair again and put the letter in his pocket where he would remember to take it out. He felt a chapter of his life suddenly coming to an end. His aching heart would finally heal. 


	22. Explanations and Girls

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: This chapter, I will try to make up some kind of weird explanation for the whole Shawn thing. (I didn't kill him!! You people should be proud of me!!)  
  
XA/N: A big rumbling noise was heard, and we're all trapped in a vent-like thing...  
  
Everyone looked up, once the rumbling sound could be heard. (Remember the vent thing in the ceiling?) Water poured in through the vent in the ceiling.  
  
"Oh perfect," Rock said as all the water started to pour down on top of them, (kinda like rain). Lizzie tried to yell at everybody through the rain.  
  
"This is good!! The water will take us up to the vent, and then we can get out of here!!" She yelled. Everyone looked at her, and then nodded. She had a good point...  
  
Everyone stood there, in the "rain" and waited for the water to start lifting them up.  
  
"You know Lizzie, this is taking a God-awful long time!!" Jericho yelled at her. (We have to yell because of the noise)  
  
"Shut up!! It'll work!!" She yelled at him, then elbowed him in the stomach. He smiled at her.  
  
"I know, I'm just giving you a hard time!" He said, then kissed her. (Everyone else ohhs and awws.)  
  
"I want a kiss!!" Rockie and Kazza yell out. Rock looks at her.  
  
"Oh really?"  
  
"Yeah and what the Rockie wants, the Rockie gets!!" She said, bringing him down to kiss him. (More ohhs and awws.)  
  
Edge looked at Kazza. She looked back at him. They shrugged, (like a what the hell, shrug) and then kissed. Everyone likes kissing in the rain. JB pulled out a stopwatch.  
  
"You know, Lizzie, you been kissing for about 45 seconds now." She noted. Then Shawn came up behind her and began kissing her. (BlazerAkila, and Steph I need to know who you people like so that you can have smoochy buddies when things like these happen.)  
  
XA/N ends on a happy note for this chapter.  
  
To be continued....  
  
**  
  
Doctors later said that Shawn had been wearing some sort of pressure equalizer on his back. (A/N: I don't know if there is such a thing, I just made it up!) Therefore, when the tires of the car went over his back, it still hurt, but not as much as it would have. The pressure equalizer protected his back from any damage. (A/N2: nifty huh? OK, I'll shut up now, but there you are people!)  
  
Shawn was medically cleared, and he called all doctors idiots before leaving the hospital. He then began rigorous training for SummerSlam. Chris was right by him, he wanted to train again too. Cori was always there with them, watching Cameron. Chris was to be fighting RVD and obviously Shawn was fighting Hunter.  
  
Both men talked a lot about their past, things they loved to do. Jericho talked about his band, Fozzy, and Shawn talked about his wrestling school in San Antonio. One day, Chris had a little more to talk about, though.  
  
"You know that day I told you I had to leave early?" Chris asked Shawn. Shawn nodded while bench pressing. Chris was spotting him.  
  
"I, um, I met another girl." Shawn almost dropped the dumbbell on his chest, Chris helped him get it back up in the rests.  
  
"You did what?" Shawn breathed; he sat up on the bench to face Chris. Chris ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"She's wonderful, everything that I've ever wanted."  
  
"What's her name?" Shawn asked. He was really aiming to meet this girl who made Chris so happy.  
  
"Her name's Liz. Not sure what it's short for though." Chris answered. "Cori actually set us up. Liz is working in the Indies, which is where Cori wrestles. She's about 28, from the looks of her." Shawn smiled.  
  
"Chris, my boy, you are in dire need of the Sexy Boy's tips aren't you?" He said, grinning from ear-to-ear as he stood up. Chris lowered his head and grinned.  
  
"I suppose so, but you do know that you're looking at the new Sexy Boy, don't you?" He said.  
  
"Oh, a little cocky are we?" Shawn said, jokingly. The two traded insults as they walked out to their locker rooms. They were the epitome of guys being best friends.  
  
**  
  
Sorry its so short. R&R please!! 


	23. Guys Do It All The Time

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Glad to see that everyone liked the previous chapter!! BTW, Lizzie, you ARE Liz, I just shortened the name a little, hope that's cool. Thanks to BlazerAkila (which I'm just going to call you Akila now, because that's what your reviews are signed as) and Steph for letting me know the people u like. 63 Reviews?!?!?! Freaking awesome!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!  
  
XA/N: Mk, had a smoochy moment, water is coming down.....  
  
"I'm singing in the rain!!" Chris yelled to no one in particular, then continued singing a Fozzy song. Lizzie just shook her head and sang along with him. Rockie got into the spirit, and hit Rock in the chest until he sang along. Steph hummed the tune because she didn't know the words too well, but she heard someone behind her doing the same. She turned around, only to be met with the grinning face of ....  
  
Kurt Angle!!  
  
"Oh My God!!!!" Steph screamed. Then she jumped up at Kurt (of course he caught her) and started kissing him.  
  
"Yeah, I'm here. Did you honestly think that an Olympic Gold Medallist would miss out on an adventure like this?" He asked as he let Steph down. He kissed her back that time. (The singing has stopped now, btw.) Everyone laughed at the sight of the two "lovebirds", although they could say nothing to make fun of them because the other people were the same way.  
  
"Speaking of adventures, I'm not going to miss out either!!" The extremist, Jeff Hardy proclaimed. Akila smiled the biggest smile anyone would eeeeeeever see in their entire lifetime. Jeff noticed this and made his way over to her...(wonder what he's gonna do? **wink, wink**).  
  
After everyone got settled down from the shock of these two guys appearing from nowhere, more and more water started to pour in. The water was already up to (most of the groups') their chests. Now, the trick was going to be staying afloat long enough to get to the top of the vent. From the looks of it, they would be there pretty soon if the water kept this up.....  
  
To be continued.........  
  
(Sorry that this one didn't go very far, had to get two other people in the story, hope it's still good!!)  
  
**  
  
Day after day slowly passed. Before anyone knew it, SummerSlam was one day away. Chris and Shawn were planning on heading out to some snazzy restaurant to (sort of) party before having the worst battle of their lives. Chris planned on Liz meeting Shawn and Cori had expressed interest in talking to Shawn for a long time. Chris had talked to Lita, who was another good buddy of his, about maybe taking care of Cameron if the plan played out. She, naturally, said she's take care of him if she needed to.  
  
Chris pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Shawn's number, although he wasn't sure why, because he was headed over there at the moment anyways.  
  
"Shawn?" Chris asked.  
  
"Yeah, Chris." Shawn said.  
  
"'Cha doin'?"  
  
"Nothing much, why?" Chris turned on his blinker to get to the interstate.  
  
"Well, I'm headed to the hotel, after spending some time with Liz, thanks for the cologne by the way." Chris could almost hear Shawn smile on the other end.  
  
"Oh, it worked?" Shawn snickered.  
  
"Yeah, she asked if I ate bacon this morning, other than that, she mentioned nothing about it." Chris shook his head, he should've known that Shawn would put some kind of food item in the cologne to make it smell different.  
  
"Well, that's good."  
  
"Are you still coming tonight?" Chris asked. Shawn looked at his TV and shrugged.  
  
"I guess so, I've nothing better to do."  
  
"I think that Cori has taken a liking to you." Chris said.  
  
"Oh really?" Shawn said, playing dumb. He'd seen the way that Cori would look at him from time to time.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be up in a few because I'm pulling in right now. Liz is going to be there, I really want you to meet her." Chris said, as he put the truck he was driving into park. He turned the ignition off and sat there for a few seconds. He took off his sunglasses and tossed them into the glove box.  
  
"I'll be there, now just get your sorry ass up here so I can beat you in Mortal Kombat!!" Shawn yelled. Chris hung up the phone and got out, he was so going to kick Shawn's ass in Mortal Kombat again....  
  
*  
  
Chris and Shawn played Mortal Kombat for close to 3 hours. Shawn started kicking ass towards the end, much to the anger of Chris. Both simultaneously agreed to quit after a while. They both started to get ready for tonight. Cori was in Chris' room, and was right down the hall. Cameron was with Lita because Chris explained to Shawn that he had asked her.  
  
When both men were dressed, they had to laugh. Chris was wearing khaki pants and a gray shirt that buttoned down a little at the top. His hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he didn't have the red in his hair. Shawn was also wearing khakis and a shirt that buttoned down a little at the top. His was red. They almost looked like brothers.  
  
"You look like a retard!" Chris yelled, rolling over with laughter.  
  
"Like you can talk!!" Shawn said, pointing to Chris' shirt. Finally they got over their laughter and Chris walked down the hall to get Cori.  
  
He quietly opened the door and immediately saw her on the bed. She looked gorgeous.  
  
"We're ready." He said, trying to conceal the shock that was in his voice. His daughter was very dressed up. He didn't even know that she knew how to do things with her hair. She was drop-dead gorgeous. Cori stood up and the red dress she was wearing reached it's full length. It hung down to the floor and also had a long slit up the side. Her hair was pulled up in a fashion suitable for prom. Her eyes sparkled when she saw the look of shock her father had.  
  
"OK, I've been ready for a while," she said, flipping the TV off.  
  
"You look awesome, hon. I barely recognized you!! My little girl is growing up." He said kind of sadly, and then he hugged his daughter. They walked out of the room to meet Shawn in the hall.  
  
Shawn happened to glance in the direction of Chris' room when she walked out. Shawn almost felt his jaw drop to the ground. She looked good. Then Shawn noticed the look on Chris' face. Shawn held out his arm.  
  
"Ready, my lady?" He asked, trying to imitate an English gentleman.  
  
"Yes." She answered. They all walked down to Chris' extended cab truck and piled in. He drove to Liz's house, and was also surprised by her ensemble. (Hers was a lot like Cori's, only a shorter dress and hers was blue.) Finally they made their way to the restaurant where both ladies went to the restroom, and the guys got a table.  
  
"You did a good job on her Chris, she's a beauty." Shawn said as they sat down. Chris smiled.  
  
"Thanks Shawn, that means a lot to me. Did you see Cori?" He asked, quickly changing the subject.  
  
"Yeah, man, I don't know what she did, but she looks fine." Shawn said, forgetting that he was talking to the girl's father. He quickly caught it, though.  
  
"Sorry, but she does." Shawn added. Chris nodded and leaned back.  
  
**3 Hours Later**  
  
Chris rubbed his eyes to keep from crying he was laughing so hard. He was drunk. So was Shawn, though, and they were having a good ole time. The girls, however, were not.  
  
"Can we go?" Cori asked. Chris looked at her, and tried to focus on her, but he kept seeing two.  
  
"Uh, sure, I'll pick this up..." He said mentioning the tab. Shawn then poked him, and Chris poked back. You can see that this would start a fight...leading to them getting thrown out. Cori was very angry and wouldn't speak to Chris or Shawn for the rest of the time that she was with them and Liz wasn't too happy either, especially since she had to drive them home and take a cab back to her place.  
  
Chris walked Cori to the room (Or vice versa) and she slammed the door in his face. He shrugged and went to Shawn's where they played Mortal Kombat again, and passed out on the floor.  
  
**  
  
A little silly and stupid but tell me what you thought!! 


	24. Summerslam pt 1

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N!  
  
A/N: OK, here is the deal, the previous chapter and this chapter would've been up earlier today, but the site was giving me a hard time and wouldn't upload the document. Thankfully, it uploaded the last chapter and I'm crossing my fingers that those problems won't happen again!! Now, on with the show....  
  
XA/N: Mk, another smoochy moment and more water!!  
  
"Why does this kind of stuff always seemingly happen to us?" Chris Jericho mumbled under his breath. Lizzie looked at him with a fierce glare in her eyes.  
  
"This "kind" of stuff spices up life!! I mean, come on, where would life be without any adventures?" she asked him.  
  
"No adventures, are you freaking crazy?" Jeff Hardy yelled out from his spot where he was trying to stay afloat (much like the rest of the group at this point).  
  
"My point exactly." Lizzie said. JB looked up to where the vent lid was that they had been trying to get to for the past few hours or so.  
  
"This lid had better not be locked." She thought. Rockie looked at her and JB knew she was thinking the same thing. Every person in the small tank only had their heads above water. They were about 3 feet from the lid. Chris and Shawn were already trying to open it.  
  
"It's stuck!!" They yelled together after trying to pry it open. Kurt and Rock rolled their eyes.  
  
"Move aside!" They said arrogantly, then began to pull on the lid, but like Jericho and HBK, there was no movement. Edge and Jeff then began to laugh. They swam over to the lid and tried their hand at it, only to fail. The girls all laughed at the guys, but they were quickly running out of air space. All of the girls smiled knowingly. All of them positioned themselves at some point around the lid and lifted the latches that held the lid in place. Then they sat the lid on the ground next to hole and smiled. The guys looked very embarrassed and climbed out of there after the girls.  
  
"Smart-asses." Shawn mumbled. They replaced the cover to the vent system and walked through the door in the room. Kazza walked through first.  
  
"What is this place?" She asked as she stepped into the room.  
  
"So good of you all to join me once again, I was getting lonely." Eric Bischoff said, coming out of the darkness to stare everyone right back in the face. Shawn squinted his eyes at the man was merely seconds from giving Bischoff some one-fingered sign language.  
  
"All of you come in, please, you're letting the water in." Bischoff said, all of them walked in, not turning their backs on Bischoff for a second.  
  
"I have a business preposition for you." He started.  
  
To be continued.......  
  
**  
  
Chris walked out of his locker room and headed to Shawn's. He needed to talk to him and make sure he was ok.  
  
"Shawn?" Chris asked as he tapped on the door.  
  
"Yeah?" Shawn's answer came.  
  
"How're you holding up?" Chris asked. He couldn't stay long, he had some unfinished business to take care of.  
  
"Not bad, I'm ready to rip Hunter a new one, though."  
  
"Hey, save some for me, ok?" Chris asked jokingly. Shawn looked at him.  
  
"This fight tonight, Chris, This isn't for me, this isn't for you or Adriana. It's for Rebecca. I loved her to death, man. She was the best part of everyday. Still is, matter of fact. Don't help me in this match, Chris. I don't care what happens, don't help me. This is my fight." Shawn said, before pulling on his boots. Chris nodded.  
  
"Whatever you say, man." He said, then patted Shawn on the back. "Good luck."  
  
"Thanks." Shawn said, not saying what he was thinking which was, 'I'll need it.'  
  
**Y2J vs. RVD**  
  
Jericho walked out to the ring with a very different look on his face. This new look was one of pure rage and maybe some damaged pride. Chris made his way to the ring and never took his eyes off RVD once.  
  
The match contained many of the classic moves and high spots that an RVD/Jericho match is famous for. No one in the audience really knew how personal the match really was for either man. 500 miles away, in a beaten- down auditorium with a wrestling ring, Cori Irvine was watching her father while her classmates wrestled.  
  
Chris noticed that RVD was down and decided to really do something far-out. Chris climbed up on the top turnbuckle. He then taunted RVD by doing the thumbs, only saying 'Y2J'. Then, Jericho jumped off the turnbuckle, doing his own, odd looking Five-Star Frog Splash. He covered RVD for the 1-2-3. Chris was all smiles and Cori was jumping up and down. Justice had been served to the Irvines tonight, but would it be for the Michaels'/Hickenbottoms'?  
  
**  
  
Another short chapter, sorry!!!! R&R!! 


	25. Summerslam pt 2

Disclaimer: I still only own Cori and XA/N. **sniff, sniff** I wouldn't mind owning Y2J or HBK, though....(  
  
A/N: Tomorrow I must return to school (. And, believe me, that totally sucks!! That also means that I won't be able to update as often as I have the past week or so. I have a question for all of you. (I think I know what the answer is going to be though.) The way I have this story written is I can end it now, or at the RAW after Survivor Series with the Elimination Chamber. Whichever one the most reviewers pick is the way that I'll go because it makes no difference to me, which way you guys choose. I love this story to death, and would honestly love to see it get more reviews that my last story, Stand Here With Me. However, if we choose to end this one at this chapter, I can automatically start posting a chapter to my new story which is no where near being finished and I have no clue where it's going to end up, but it will be a Jericho/Steph fic. My first of those sorts. OK, now it's time to shut up and get on with the chapter.  
  
XA/N: Bischoff had a preposition........  
  
"And the preposition is this!!" He yelled, pulling out a gun. And we're not talking a little pistol type gun. We are talking an AK 47 machine gun, kind of gun. Naturally the group is both infuriated and a little scared at the same time.  
  
"You little weasels have been ruining my show for the past year and now, I have something to say to all of you." Bischoff screamed..the guy really needs decaf...  
  
"You're homosexual?" Kazza suggested. Bischoff looked surprised for a second, then went back to his "scary" approach. (BTW, we are not afraid of HIM, we are afraid of the toy in his hands, ok?)  
  
"No." He was about to speak again, when Rockie interrupted him.  
  
"You're heterosexual?" she suggested. Eric looked confused, then pointed the gun at her.  
  
"NO!!!" He yelled. The group began to laugh.  
  
"SHUT UP!!!" He screamed again, which only made them laugh harder.  
  
"What in the blue hell are you people laughing at?!!?!?!" He demanded.  
  
"YOU!! We're laughing at you!!!" Steph said between giggles.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you said you were gay!" Jericho yelled out from the back. Bischoff looked at him.  
  
"I did not!!"  
  
"Did too." Shawn piped up.  
  
"Did not!"  
  
"Yes huh!"  
  
"Nun huh!" Bischoff screamed at him, then regained his composure and held the gun up at them again. After a few more seconds the laughter tapered off.  
  
"Say goodbye, my faithful idiots.." Bischoff mumbled and pulled the trigger.  
  
To be continued....  
  
**  
  
Shawn finished taping his wrists up and stood up. He stretched his tight blue jeans out a little and put a white t-shirt on. He picked up the black 'HBK' type thing that he put on over his blue jeans. Shawn took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down the anger that was surging through him. He wanted to hurt Hunter...badly...but he wouldn't, couldn't kill him. As much as Shawn wanted to kill Hunter, he couldn't. He just needed to get through this match, and he would be good for a while.  
  
Shawn saw Chris in the hallway while he was walking out to the gorilla position, but he said nothing to him. Chris didn't say anything to him either, because he knew somehow that Shawn was trying to keep his focus. Shawn absently wondered if Liz was going to be here tonight. He was finally there, and was waiting for the stage crew to signal that he was on.  
  
  
  
The signal came and Shawn took off. He walked out in front of the crowd and the adrenaline hit him. He ran down the ramp and posed like the old time HBK. The crowd ate it up. Shawn couldn't help but smile. He took the string thing and the t-shirt off. Then he posed and taunted in the corner while Hunter made his way to the ring. Shawn tried to hide the look of fury that he had on his face. He didn't know how well he was doing.  
  
Shawn got down from his spot on the turnbuckle and started to walk towards Hunter. He still had the t-shirt in his hand, so he decided to put it to good use. He tossed the shirt at Hunter, and it hit him in the face. Hunter threw it to the ground and Shawn went at him. They traded punches and Hunter tossed Shawn out of the ring.  
  
Shawn was running on pure adrenaline, and he climbed right back up into the ring, which took the taunting Hunter by surprise. Shawn again started to lay hard punches into the man, and somehow Hunter got the advantage. He started attacking Shawn's back with chairs and the belt that Shawn had worn to the ring.  
  
Soon, the waves of the match changed again, with Shawn getting the advantage. Shawn hit Hunter over the head with a chair, busting him open. Shawn fell to a knee and Hunter went down. Shawn and Hunter were soon swinging away again and made their way to the outside, where Shawn sat up a table and pulled out a fire-extinguisher which he promptly hit Hunter over the head with.  
  
Shawn put Hunter on the table and made his way into the ring. He climbed the turn buckle and he stopped on the second one momentarily to make a "crazy" motion about himself for what he was going to do.  
  
"Yeah, you are crazy," King said.  
  
"Don't do it Shawn!!" J. R. yelled. If Shawn had heard them, he would've done the same thing anyways.  
  
Shawn jumped from the turnbuckle onto Hunter, causing the table to break under their weight. After lying there for a few seconds, both men made their way back into the ring. Shawn pulled the upper hand for a while, bringing out a ladder after knocking Hunter down again. Shawn climbed the ladder and told all of the fans that he loved them and that he was doing this for them.  
  
Cameron crossed his fingers while his father made his way to the top of the ladder. He was caught up in this match, and he had never seen his dad wrestle before. Lita watched the match with great interest behind him. And, finally, behind her, Chris Jericho watched with great interest as he watched Shawn jump off the ladder onto Hunter.  
  
Shawn jumped onto Hunter and stood up right afterwards, and made his way to the corner. Shawn nodded and started to tune up the band for some sweet chin music. Hunter got up slowly and walked over to Shawn, dodging the super kick. He knocked Shawn down with almost all he had left in his tank. Shawn laid there on the mat for a second, then hopped up, much like the Rock did and started to jump up and down. The crowd was totally into this, and began to chant 'HBK'.  
  
Shawn tuned that band up again, and Hunter slowly returned to his feet. Shawn tried to execute the move again, but Hunter dodged it once again and set Shawn up for the pedigree. The crowd began to boo, but they didn't get far, because Shawn reversed the move and pinned him 1-2-3.  
  
Shawn immediately pointed to the sky and thanked God for letting him do this one last time. He let Hebner raise his hand as he stood up. Shawn was all smiles and he felt like his retribution was served. Then he felt a piercing pain in his back. Hebner dropped his hand and Shawn fell to his knees.  
  
"No!!" Chris yelled and walked to the door. But, he couldn't open it. He had promised Shawn that he wouldn't interfere in the match to help him, no matter what. Frustrated, Chris turned around to see Hunter hit Shawn again in between the shoulder blades.  
  
Chris ran out of the room at that point.  
  
Shawn lay on the mat, content to just lay there. The pain was excruciating. He noticed that Hunter was walking backstage now. He felt himself being lifted up onto a stretcher and taken backstage. Chris was waiting for him.  
  
"I wanted to kill him, Chris." Shawn mumbled, "But I didn't...I should have." He said. Chris smiled.  
  
"I wanted to interfere, but I didn't, I kept my promise to you Shawn." Chris said, as he stepped into the ambulance with him.  
  
"Good, I'm proud, you know how to keep a promise," he joked. The ambulance door closed and they sped off.  
  
"I'm sorry about this, Shawn, I should've ran down and helped." Chris said, hanging his head.  
  
"No, I told you not to come down because I knew Hunter was planning this. I wanted to take a break. I need to get my priorities straight. Then I'll come back and make my voice heard, trust me." He said. Chris nodded as the siren of the ambulance filled the silence between them.  
  
**  
  
End here or no? 


	26. Rain, Rain, Go Away

Disclaimer: I own Cori and XA/N. That's all!!  
  
A/N: OK, FYI, I planned on going to Survivor Series in this story no matter what anybody said anyway. I am really, really sorry for the lack of updates. This was my first week back at school, and I have had zip time for anything! I am also really tired, so if this chapter comes out a little funky, then I apologize. Thanks to Louise N (whomever that might be) for reviewing about 9 or 10 times. (Not like I'm downsizing any of my other reviewers, I just wanted to recognize her, because I'm going to try and not add any more people than absolutely necessary.) Thanks to those who have rode this thing through from the beginning, your support is greatly appreciated!!!!  
  
  
  
XA/N: Ok, we were all about to be shot.....  
  
Bischoff pulled the trigger, and....  
  
The gun merely clicked.  
  
"What? No!!!" He yelled, repeatedly pulling the trigger and getting clicks in return for his troubles. A smiling face became visible behind that of Eric's. A huge grin came upon everyone's face.  
  
That smiling face in th background belonged to the one and only...  
  
Vince McMahon.  
  
Vince tapped Eric on the shoulder and when Eric turned around, he was met with a hard punch right to the face. That (naturally) knocked Eric out. Vince stood over the fallen man, doing absolutely nothing but grinning.  
  
"Thanks Vince." JB chimed in. The rest of the group murmured their thanks as well.  
  
"It was no problem at all. I've been wanting to do that for quite a long time." He said, walking towards the group.  
  
"Let's get all of you back to the company hotel, so that we can plan out what's going to go down on RAW next week." Vince said.  
  
To be continued......  
  
**  
  
Chris sat in a pink plastic hospital chair that he was only too familiar with. He sat, smiling as he watched Shawn forcefully swallow something that looked like Jello, but Chris had a feeling that it wasn't.  
  
"Shut up Irvine." He said, swallowing. "One day, when you get hurt, I'm going to ask for this specially for you. Then we'll see how funny it is." He mumbled. Chris merely smiled at Shawn as the nurse left.  
  
"When do you think you'll be out of here?" Chris asked. Shawn shrugged, and then winced. His back wasn't ready for that kind of physical sarcasm.  
  
  
  
"Soon, I hope. I've got things to do, people to see." Shawn said, trying to imitate Chris. Both men smiled and joked around a little while longer, until visiting hours were over.  
  
"Well, I've got to check up on my 'mon capitan'" Chris said, making fun of his daughter, whom he thought worried too much.  
  
"Works for me. Tell her I said 'hi' will you?" Shawn asked as Chris stood up.  
  
"Sure thing. Seeya tomorrow, Shawn." Chris said, then made his way out of the hospital.  
  
Chris drove at a moderate speed going back to the hotel. Liz wasn't around; her home was in Florida, close to his. Cori was supposed to be at his hotel room when he got there because her term at school was up. Chris turned on his Fozzy CD and his windshield wipers because it was beginning to rain.  
  
"Man, I hate rain." He muttered to himself. The rain began to come down harder and it didn't help matters much that it was dark outside. Chris grabbed his cell phone from the arm rest and hit MEM 1 on the phone without even looking at it. He had his headset on so he could talk without having to hold the phone. While the phone was ringing, He turned down the music on the stereo.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Cori?" He yelled into the phone, it was hailing now.  
  
"Dad, where are you?"  
  
"On my way home, can you turn on the weather channel real quick and see what's happenin' out here?" He asked.  
  
"Sure thing, dad." She said, then she got up and turned the TV on the weather channel and found the area they were in.  
  
Chris noticed that the hail was starting to dent the truck he was driving, and he knew that whatever the outcome of the weather was, it wasn't going to be good. There were not that many cars on the interstate, oddly enough. Lightening was flashing and thunder was rolling as Chris kept on driving, waiting for his daughter to tell him what he was getting himself into.  
  
"Dad, still there?" She asked, she sounded a little shaken.  
  
"Yeah, I'm still here, what's the verdict?"  
  
"What interstate are you on?" She asked him.  
  
"Uh, 270." He replied.  
  
"I was afraid of that." She mumbled, "Dad, you might want to find a good place to turn off pretty quickly."  
  
"What's coming at me?" He asked, but he already knew the answer.  
  
"Tornadoes, dad. They're all around you." Came the answer. "North on 270, South on 270, West on 275 and there's two on East 275." Chris heard her sniffing on the other end.  
  
"Hey, I'll make it there, just hang tight, ok?"  
  
"I know you will, dad, just take your time." She said. She waited for her father to answer with something, but the answer wouldn't come.  
  
"Dad?"  
  
"Hang on, Cori." He said, his voice emphasizing that he was trying to concentrate on something.  
  
Chris watched in his rearview mirror as another truck came revving up behind him. Lightening was striking all around the place, but the thing behind the truck was unmistakable.  
  
Behind the quickly advancing truck, was a twister.  
  
Chris swore under his breath as he pushed on the gas pedal to speed up. He could vaguely see the exit that he wanted was about 10 or so miles away from him. The lights from the city illuminated the sky alongside the lightening. Chris then saw the tornado that was on North 270. It was a good thing that he had been preoccupied with the one in front of him, or he would've seen the truck that was behind him suddenly get sucked into the twister.  
  
He sure as hell saw the landing. The truck came crashing down right in front of Chris', giving him almost zero reaction time. His truck hit the other and his flipped over and landed on the top of the cab.  
  
"Shit!" He screamed as he hit the other truck. Cori was still on the other end.  
  
"Dad?" She asked into the phone. No answer.  
  
"DAD?" She screamed.  
  
"Cori..." He managed to get out. His seatbelt held him upside down, and the cab had been smashed to pieces. He knew that he was screwed, trapped, or both. He couldn't move his neck at all, but the cell phone was still on, and apparently he was still wearing the headset.  
  
"Dad, what happened?" She asked worriedly. Chris let out a groan as he tried to move.  
  
"I flipped the truck over." He said. He tried to get out of his seatbelt at that point because it was starting to choke him.  
  
"Are you ok, dad? Where are you?" Cori asked, trying to keep from dropping the phone, she was trembling so much. She picked up the hotel phone and dialed 911.  
  
"Right in between the North and South twisters." He said.  
  
"They're heading right for you, " she said, then answered the 911 Operator.  
  
  
  
"No shit Sherlock." He mumbled as he once again tried to get his seat belt loose. Chris suddenly had the idea to look in at the other truck and see who was in it.  
  
"Hey, are you ok in there?" He yelled over the wind and rain. Both the windows and the windshield were shattered on impact, so he could yell to the other person. The other person moved their head a little, and then remained motionless. Chris knew who that figure was, though.  
  
And he wasn't pleased with what he saw...  
  
** 


	27. Do You Beileve?

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Oh my friggin god!! 90 reviews!!!! **90** reviews!!! I'm on cloud nine right now!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! You people are so awesome!!! Special shout out to KrystalBlazeJerikor (Akila), Rockie, The Showstoppa, KazzaXtreme, HBKSteph and Dee (Steph), and Lizzie Borden. You guys know that you're awesome!!! (Like I really needed to say it...() I love every single one of you for reviewing this story for as long as you have!!! With the rate that Shawn Michaels keeps going, I might never end up finishing this!! Thank you soooo sooo much!!! Keep on!!!!  
  
XA/N: On our way to RAW hotel...  
  
"So Vince, why are you back all of a sudden?" Kazza asked him, not sure if she was buying that it really was Vince (we know how that turns out...).  
  
"I had an announcement to do tonight, but I think that I will employ a new GM instead, seeing as how our current GM can't seem to get or do anything right." Vince said. Chris started looking out the window at that point, he really didn't care why Vince was back, as long as he didn't have to work under Eric Bischoff...everything would be fine with him.  
  
Lizzie wrapped her arms around him and rested her chin on his shoulder.  
  
"What's wrong?" she asked. He turned to look at her. He couldn't help but admire how beautiful she was.  
  
"Only the fact that I won't be able to see you for very long after tonight." He said.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, you're not a wrestler and I am, so.." Chris cut himself off, seeing as how she was smiling at him like that. "What? Are you a wrestler now?" he asked her, she merely smiled.  
  
"You'll just have to wait and see now, won't you?" She said, and then placed a kiss on his lips so that he wouldn't even worry about that.  
  
Most of the other guys were bummed as well about having to leave their girls behind, except for Edge, Rock and Shawn. Jeff, Kurt and (obviously) Chris were upset because we are all in love and they don't wanna leave...  
  
Edge played with Kazza's hair idly while Jericho was talking to Lizzie. While Edge was doing that, Rock was whispering 'sweet little nothings' in Rockie's ear. (For instance "Can Rock have a piece of pie?" "He would give you some.(funky hip thing) strudel.") Kurt was trying to figure out something to give to Steph, and was debating on giving her one of his Gold medals. Jeff was reciting some poetry for Akila, while Vince just sat silent, watching the whole thing play out in front of him.  
  
All the while, a plan was forming in his brain to get more ratings on RAW.....  
  
  
  
To be continued......  
  
**  
  
Chris looked at the being in the truck next to him and was not pleased with what he saw. In the overturned truck, were Lita and (yup you guessed it) Cameron. Chris breathed in and out a few times and looked again and again to make sure that what he was seeing was real. He heard Cori on the other end of his cell phone, giving information to the ambulance. Chris moved his neck a little bit, to see where the twisters were, and saw that the North and South ones were headed in another direction, from what he could see.  
  
Chris managed to get his pocketknife out from his front jean pocket, and then he stated working away on the seatbelt. He glanced over as he saw the red hair begin to move once again.  
  
"Lita!! Lita, can you hear me?" She turned her head to look at him and had to blink with disbelief as she saw Chris hanging upside-down in his truck. The top part of the cab had been smashed in a little ways, probably breaking Chris' neck. It's not like Lita looked great either, though. Blood was spattered all over her face, from when her face smacked a window.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, why are you upside-down?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. Chris managed to cut his seatbelt, causing him to land on his neck, which was broken. Chris let out a cry of pain.  
  
"That's why." He said, in a strained voice. "How's Cameron?" he asked, getting concerned. The hail that had been coming down was now being replaced with a healing rain.  
  
"I can't even see him, I'm pinned under this thing." She said. Chris righted himself painfully and looked at her carefully. She was pinned down, but Chris needed to check on Cameron. The cab looked like an extended one, so there would be room to get in if one of the tornadoes should happen to change directions.  
  
"Dad?" Cori yelled into the phone.  
  
"Yeah, I'm still here."  
  
"The ambulance is on their way." She said. Chris nodded.  
  
"OK, hon thanks, but I'm going to have to let you go."  
  
"Be careful, whatever you're going to do." She warned  
  
"Don't worry, I will." He said confidently, and then hung up.  
  
*  
  
Shawn laid back in the hospital bed and watched as the weather channel reported all of the tornadoes that were out and about. He was praying that Chris and Lita both made it to the hotel safely by now.  
  
After watching that for a while, he finally turned it off and looked at all of the people that were going in and out of the hospital. It was almost like a supermarket. Then, someone walked in that really caught his eye. Someone who looked just like....  
  
"Oh my God." Shawn muttered as he watched the girl walk into the hospital. She was about the same height, same build, same hair, it had to be her!!  
  
The woman looked just like Rebecca.  
  
She was holding a cloth to her head and was helping another man who couldn't walk at all into a chair. A nurse walked in the room and asked Shawn if he wouldn't mind sharing a room. He barely heard her, but said that she could have someone else in the room.  
  
  
  
As luck would have it, the woman who looked like Rebecca was headed in the direction of his room. She was shown in and sat down on the bed, then the nurse left. Shawn didn't know if he should talk to this woman or not, but he decided that he would.  
  
Slowly, Shawn turned his head to face the woman staring back at him.  
  
"What is your name?" She asked, before he could say anything.  
  
"Mine's Shawn, what's yours?" he asked, then he saw it. He saw the cut on her neck from where Hunter had cut her and he knew it was her.  
  
"Mine's Rebecca. Have we met before, you look so familiar..." She said, then looked for a second as if she recognized him, but the look faded and she was like she was before.  
  
"I think that we have.." She said, still mumbling about something. Shawn was still staring at her, dumbfounded. She was alive, she was really alive!!  
  
Suddenly Shawn grabbed her hand and looked at the ring on it.  
  
"Do you mind if I see this?" She was in a daze.  
  
"Not at all." She said. Shawn took it off and looked at the engraved marks on the inner side of the ring.  
  
'To Becky From Shawn with love.' It read. 


	28. Storm of the Century

Disclaimer: I do not own any of these people except for Cori. I own XA/N though!!!  
  
A/N: Thank you so, so much!!! 95 reviews!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If this story breaks 100.....I'm gonna freak out!!! Thanks to everyone who has stuck with this story and I'm really sorry for the irregularity of the updates!!!!!!!!!! Now, to XA/N!!!  
  
XA/N: MK, Vince had an idea.....  
  
The group of 13 (12 of us and Vince) made their way into the hotel. They all walked up to the same room to have "conference". Before getting anywhere though, Steph **had** to hug Vince.  
  
"Thank you!!!!!!!" She screamed at him. Apparently she was very happy to have been rescued by him. Kurt didn't seem too pleased with that, though. Steph winked at him. "Don't worry Kurt, I haven't forgotten you!!" she said, and then ran to him and hugged him really hard. Vince just shook his head and continued on.  
  
Chris and Lizzie walked hand-in-hand, as did the other love birds, which basically sums up to be all of them. Kazza still couldn't put her finger on it, but something seemed awkward about this whole situation. (BTW, I watched the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles earlier today [I was BORED] anyways, so this could end up being a spin off of that.)  
  
Shawn and JB brought up the rear of the group. Shawn kept trying to make idle conversation with her, but she seemed distant, more so than usual. That seemed to be the case with Rockie and Akila as well. They still made their way to the room.  
  
After walking a little bit more, they **finally** reached the room. And Vince began to speak.  
  
"On the way over here, I have decided whom to elect for our new General Manager of RAW," he started. "I have noticed that all of you are very much....well, let's say effective as a group. Therefore, I have decided to cut the GM job into 12 parts for RAW only." Vince looked around the room; everyone seemed to be groaning inwardly. Vince smiled and went on. "One piece belongs to you, Lizzie Borden." Lizzie jumped up and down for a couple of seconds, then calmed herself. (You can bet that Chris was very pleased with that.  
  
"Another piece belongs to you, Akila." He said. Once again, same type of reaction.  
  
"Yet another belongs to Steph. And after that, pieces also belong to Kazza, Rockie and JB. Not to mention," he added, "Every single male wrestler in this room excluding myself." He finished.  
  
"That means that all of us are GMs!!!" Kurt yelled. Kazza rolled her eyes. Steph merely smiled.  
  
"Duh you assclown!!!" Jericho yelled. From somewhere above, someone was watching and listening intently....a very large number of someones.....  
  
To be continued.......  
  
**  
  
  
  
Chris hung up his cell phone and looked out at the tornadoes from his position in the truck. They seemed to be pretty far off.  
  
"Stay there, Lita, I'll be right there." He yelled over to her, and then he took off running. He bolted around to the other side of the truck and hopped in. Cameron wasn't there, though.  
  
"Where's Cameron?" he yelled from behind her as he tried to move some of the rubble to free her.  
  
"He's supposed to be there!!" She screamed. Chris looked around the remains of the truck and saw what looked like a car seat.  
  
"Cameron?" he asked. He peeked into the back seat to find a perfectly ok, although shaken, Cameron.  
  
"I think I'm gonna be sick." He said, shortly before blowing chunks on Chris. Chris didn't seem to mind too much, though. Chris freed Cameron of the car seat and continued to work on Lita.  
  
"Can you move yet?" he asked her.  
  
"No, wait...I think I might be able to," she said, inching back slowly. After a little bit, she was finally free of the truck. Chris sat down, exhausted with what the day had held for him. Cameron sat on his lap instinctively and Lita merely sat. Not long after that, the winds picked up speed.  
  
"Looks, like the twisters are coming back for another spin." Chris noted, then moved his hands to his neck. All of a sudden the truck began to spin around on the concrete.  
  
"Oh SHIT!!!" Chris screamed as he felt the truck go up in the air. He grabbed onto Lita and Cameron's hand, until his head smacked against the dashboard....  
  
**  
  
Shawn held the ring numbly in his hand.  
  
"What, what's in it?" Rebecca asked, and then she suddenly crumpled to the floor.  
  
"Becky!!" he yelled as he stumbled out of the bed painfully. He sat on the cold hospital floor next to her. With his hands, he gently raised her head so that he could see her face.  
  
"We were married, you and I. I came up with a plan with Hunter to...to...get you to come home.." she said, tears brimming in her eyes.  
  
"Shhh," he said, putting a finger to his lips. She shook her head and continued.  
  
"I lied to you, Shawn. Hunter and I had been sleeping together for a while, but one day he went beserk on me. I-I ran to the kitchen and he cut my throat, he thought, he thought I was dead, but I wasn't. I just ended up with amnesia and no one ever told you, oh Shawn I'm so sorry!!" She sobbed into his chest. Shawn soothed her and hugged her.  
  
They sat on the hospital floor hugging and crying as they had found each other again, while their son and Shawn's best friend were fighting for their life in the storm of the century.......  
  
**  
  
Feedback, people, I need it!! 


	29. Wondering

Disclaimer: I own Cori and XA/N. If I owned any of the other people in this story, I wouldn't have to work for the rest of my life.  
  
A/N: 99 reviews!!! Thank you so much, you all have no idea how much this means to me!! Truthfully, I haven't been following my notebook as far as this story goes for quite a while, so I have no idea when it's going to end!! Maybe it won't...( Now to XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: Some people were listening in as the 6 GMs of RAW were named....  
  
"I don't believe this," Lizzie said. "I am like in 7th heaven right now, I don't know how to react!!" Jericho smiled and put his arm around her.  
  
"I know, it's unreal, isn't it?" She nodded her agreement. Kazza and Edge, Rockie and Rock, Akila and Jeff, and Steph and Kurt had similar reactions. Shawn had his doubts and JB was looking out the window.  
  
She was soon joined by Kazza at the window, and they both stared out without really saying anything. It was that kind of mutual understanding that people have sometimes. Vince had left the room not long after making his announcement. JB and Kazza had the stinky suspicion that they weren't the only ones who knew about that announcement, though. In the back of her mind, Lizzie had the same gut feeling.  
  
JB looked up at the building next to the one they were in and saw what she thought looked like a head. Apparently, Kazza saw it as well, because she got up to tell the others something. JB continued to stare at the head. The face would turn to the sinking rays of sunlight occasionally and then the face became evident. **Two** faces became evident...  
  
To be continued.......  
  
(Sorry it's so short!! More soon, I promise!!)  
  
**  
  
Chris' head smacked against the dashboard of the truck and the world around him went black...  
  
When he woke up, he was lying in tall grass, underneath a huge tree. He blinked twice and looked around. Something wasn't right. This wasn't where he was before he blacked out. He felt as if his head could explode, his ears were ringing and couldn't remember just where he'd been. He looked to the right of him to see the sun slowly rising.  
  
Slowly, he sat up and looked around. He saw a truck in the distance, what was left of it, anyway. He had the sudden impulse to look up, and that's when he found that he himself was sitting underneath a second truck. Then, it all came flooding back to him. The whole tornado situation, everything. He looked up into the truck and saw one figure looking back at him.  
  
The figure was Lita.  
  
"Lita? Can you hear me?" he yelled up at her. She didn't move or blink. Chris began to stand up and that's when he could see the ambulances arriving at the other truck. About 5 feet in front of him, he spotted Cameron, who was face down in the dirt. Chris hobbled over to him, trying not to move his neck or his back very much because they were both very sore.  
  
He gently rolled him over and leaned in to see if he was breathing or not. He was, thankfully. The paramedics had found him by now, and helped him over to the ambulance, one picked up Cameron and yet another yelled to get someone to help bring 'the girl out of this truck.' Chris walked alongside the man carrying Cameron and was thankful that both had survived. He also was fearful for Lita. He had no idea what was going to happen to her if she was alive.  
  
Unfortunately, the key word in that sentence was 'if'.  
  
Shawn leaned against the pillows that the hospital bed supplied, and turned to look at Rebecca. She was sleeping in the bed next to him. Over the course of the past half hour or so, she had told him everything about that plan that she had created to get him to come home. She also had regained any of the memory that she had lost over the period of time that she and Shawn hadn't been together. Bottom line, she had all of her memory back and told him the full story.  
  
Shawn couldn't help but wonder if Lita, Chris and Cameron made it back all right. He decided to call Chris' room at the hotel to find out. He quickly punched the numbers in and it began to ring.  
  
It rang once, twice, three times and Shawn contemplated hanging up until a sniffing voice came on the line.  
  
"Dad?" the voice asked hopefully.  
  
"'Fraid not dear, this is Shawn. I was calling up to see if your dad made it home all right; there was a nasty storm out last night and-" Shawn abruptly stopped. Cori was crying and asked if her dad was the one who was calling, and that could only mean one thing.  
  
Chris hadn't made it home last night.  
  
"He's not here, Shawn. As a matter of fact, I don't know where he is or if- or if.." she trailed off and began to burst into tears. Shawn felt horrible. Chris had been out in that mess trying to get home, and if he hadn't made it, that meant that Lita and Cameron wouldn't have either.  
  
"When was the last you spoke to him?"  
  
"About 40 minutes ago, he saw Lita and was looking for Cameron."  
  
"What happened to them?"  
  
"Dad had wrecked his truck because apparently Lita's truck had been swept up by the tornado and tossed right in front of him. His truck flipped over and landed on the cab and the last I heard was that he was going to try and get Cameron, then he hung up." She said. Shawn nodded.  
  
"Thanks for the help, Cori."  
  
"No problem. And Shawn?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"If you hear anything before I do, let me know, will you?" she asked.  
  
"Sure thing, babe." Shawn said, then hung up the phone. Right as he hung up, he saw a group of people walking in. One was hobbling along being supported by another, one was whisked past before he could head or tail of who it was, and the third was walking slowly.  
  
It was Chris and Cameron. Along with some paramedics, of course. Chris was hobbling along while having his neck in a brace and Cameron appeared uninjured. That meant that the one that was whisked by had to be Lita. Shawn kept watch to see where they were going to go. 


	30. Slap

Disclaimer: I own Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: "Soorry" about not updating for a week, I've been swamped with homework and everyone knows how frustrating it can be. Man, what a bunch of reviews!!!!!! Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for helping me break 100!! BTW, for those of you who don't know, I have another story posted up called Drop to Zero. Be sure to check it out!!  
  
XA/N: Two faces were evident...  
  
And they were..  
  
Eric Bischoff and "Chief" Morley.  
  
"Down!!" JB screamed as machine guns fired at them.  
  
"Crap!!" yelled pretty much everybody. Vince was on his way in the elevator when he heard the gunfire. He took off running down the hall to get into the room where his new GMs were. He opened the door to see Eric Bischoff and Sean Morley shooting at all of the other occupants of the room.  
  
Some looked like they already had been shot. Shot but not killed. Vince smirked at the situation. After all, there is **nothing** that he can't handle!! Vince pulled out a bazooka from his briefcase. (It was a folding one, if there is such a thing.)  
  
"Eat this, Bischoff." Vince said, then fired away at Bischoff. Bischoff was killed and Morley ran away. Immediately afterwards, Steph jumped up and hugged Vince.  
  
"Thnakyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!!" she screamed. Vince rolled his eyes and the rest of group stood. No one was seriously injured, thankfully, and they got ready to go to RAW!!!!!!  
  
(Mk, so it was corny, I have writer's block for this ok?)  
  
To be continued.......  
  
**  
  
Shawn watched as Chris and Cameron walked into the room. Cameron ran to his mom and Chris looked at her as if she was dangerous or something.  
  
"I see you're still alive," Shawn said. Chris managed to smile.  
  
"Barely." He admitted. He hobbled over to the chair and sat down painfully. "So, she's not really dead, then huh?"  
  
"Nah, I'm still waiting to wake up." Shawn said, looking over at his wife, whom he had spent the last few months without.  
  
"You won't wake up. It's real, because I'm hurting like hell." Shawn smirked.  
  
"How's Lita?" Chris sighed.  
  
"I don't really know, because when I last saw her before blacking out she was fine. When I woke up, she was caught in the truck that was lodged in a tree. That reminds me, I'd better be calling my daughter."  
  
"Yeah, she called right before you walked in." Shawn remembered. Chris had just picked up the phone to dial when Liz ran into the room.  
  
"Oh my God, Chris are you ok? You had me worried half to death!!" She yelled at him, then smacked him alongside the head.  
  
"OW!" he said, but before he could explain himself, Cori rushed in and smack him across the cheek.  
  
"OW!!" he screamed. Shawn sat back and smiled, this was going to be entertaining. Cameron crawled up on his lap to watch also.  
  
"Why did you do that dad? (She slaps him again) You just had to go and be the hero, didn't you? (Slap) Always have to make a name for yourself, no matter what the cost!! (Slap) Well, let me tell you something buddy....you're going to have one hell of a sore face when you get home because (Slap) I'm (Slap) going (Slap) to (Slap) teach (Slap) you (Slap) a (Slap) lesson!!(Slap)" Chris' face was bright red by this time and he wasn't blushing, either.  
  
"And don't think that you're going to get off easy with me!!" Liz yelled as she slapped him twice across the face. Both girls tried to slap him again, but he held up his hands in defeat.  
  
"I'M SOORRY!! I DIDN'T MEAN TO GO AFTER THEM!! I WAS DOING THE RIGHT THING!!!! DON'T HURT ME ANYMORE!!!!" Chris yelled. Both women shrugged and hugged him. Shawn and Cameron were laughing their heads off as Chris gave them a death glare.  
  
The doctor walked in at that point to deliver the news on Lita. 


	31. I'm BACK!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but XA/N and Cori. You all know this by now....  
  
A/N: I have finally returned!! I finished reading the book on Monday (it was 1141 pages long, so it took me a while) and I can get the project finished pretty easily now. Thanks to all of you for being supportive and understanding of the situation. I'm BACK!!! It feels good!! I'm going to try and get at least two chapters up today and more tomorrow because it's going to snow (again), so I'll have nothing better to do. Anyways, thanks for being patient and, as promised, here is XA/N and another chapter of Next to Nothing!!  
  
XA/N: We were getting shot at, but then, Vince came to our rescue, now we are getting ready for RAW!!  
  
"So, Vince, what exactly are we supposed to do at RAW?" Steph asked. Vince shrugged. They were riding in the limo now, so as to get to RAW on time..  
  
"I want you 12 to take RAW by the throat and squeeze the life out of it. I want you to shake RAW to its very foundations!!" Vince yelled through the limo. Everyone exchanged glances. Vince could be psycho sometimes about something that he really wants.  
  
"Riiiiight," Jericho said from the back, as he saw the ever-familiar vein pop out of Vince's neck as he was yelling. Lizzie poked him and giggled. Kazza rolled her eyes at the couple and just leaned back against Edge. Akila and Jeff were playing the card game war and only looked up occasionally to see Vince yelling at all of them about how he wanted change. Kurt was playing with Steph's hair while she watched Vince's face in amusement. JB was merely looking out the window at all the passing buildings. HBK was wondering why they had to get this job. Vince yelled at him enough already, he didn't need to add this to it.  
  
"Now, when you go out there tonight, try to be ruthless. I want to see some ruthless aggression from all of you!" Vince yelled, and then smiled. "All of you will do fine," he said in his normal voice.  
  
Everyone watched as they drove into the arena. The cameraman came running up to them, ready to get a shot of all of them entering the building. Everyone took a deep breath and Vince opened the door.  
  
To be continued....... **  
  
The doctor walked inside the room to see Chris Jericho with a very red face and the infamous Shawn Michaels laying on a hospital bed waiting to hear some new about anything. His son, Cameron was on his lap and his wife was sitting next to him. Chris had two women around him, one his girlfriend and the other, presumably his daughter. The doctor took a deep breath before he began.  
  
"Lita has suffered a horrible concussion and some fractures, not to mention countless bruises and scratches, but we think that, by the morning, she should be remarkably better, and she will be fine in a few months after the fractures heal." He said.  
  
Chris sighed inwardly. He had been fearing the worst. He had prayed and prayed silently while the doctor was looking around the room, that she would be fine and his prayers had paid off. Chris glanced at Shawn.  
  
Shawn had a smirk on his face and was looking right back at Chris. Chris smiled back and Shawn hugged Cameron and Rebecca. Chris smiled and nodded knowingly. Shawn's family had been pieced back together and everything was going to work out there. Chris himself felt the he was at peace with himself finally. But, there was still one thing that he had left to do. And that would come in two month's time....at Survivor Series.  
  
**  
  
Sorry the chapter's short, next one should be longer. Don't forget to check out Drop to Zero!! 


	32. Drunken fights in the middle of the nigh...

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N. Don't sue me, you will only gain 1 penny.  
  
A/N: OK, back to update some more today, I had to finish my Algebra homework, so now I can update a few more chapters. Last chapter was short because of that reason. All right, here we go again.  
  
XA/N: Vince was the first to step out of the limo and you could hear the roar from the crowd in the building from the parking lot. Everyone was going crazy about him. He hadn't been on RAW for a while, and when he was, you knew that something exciting was going to happen.  
  
After Vince stepped out, JB and Shawn stepped out, and you could imagine the looks on the faces of everyone in the crowd. "What the - Why would JB and Shawn be in the same limo as Vince McMahon? That wasn't the end of it, though. Lizzie and Jericho piled out next, Steph and Kurt behind them, Jeff and Akila next. Kazza and Edge were after them, and Rockie came out with the Rock. There was a definite buzz in the crowd about why these 12 people were here.  
  
They slowly made their way to the arena, with Vince in the lead. All of the crew members backstage had a look of puzzlement written on their faces, much like everyone else. The group made their way to the gorilla position, and then followed Vince out to his music. The crowd was again going wild from anticipation and excitement.  
  
Vince strutted down to the ring and entered, once again, followed by everyone in the group. He walked across the ring, while the others taunted, to get a microphone.  
  
"Now," Vince started, "You all see before you a new era about to begin in the WWE. These twelve people have been appointed to do a job that their predecessor could not do. These twelve people are your new General Managers of RAW!!" The crowd was a little stunned at that point, but quickly recovered to cheer and yell.  
  
"Give them your applause, because they are going to earn your respect, as well, I can sense it. I will now return to the back and let these young people take over their positions right now." Vince said, then handed the mic to Kazza. He exited the ring, and walked back up the ramp. Kazza began to speak.  
  
"What's up Denver?!?!" She screamed into the mic, (they're in Denver, Colorado) the crowd gave her a huge pop, and she smirked.  
  
"Well, I think that my fellow GMs will agree with me when I make this new match. This person has had it coming to them for a long time now. I'd like to call that person to the ring now. His name is...SPIKE DUDLEY!!" she yelled. The other GMs looked at Kazza with a little bit of surprise, but waited for Spike to come anyways. But Spike's music wasn't what blared over the sound system.  
  
Holla if ya hear me.....  
  
To be continued........  
  
**  
  
Over the course of the next two months, Chris and Shawn spent a lot of time working out in the gym, and just generally hanging out like most guys do. They watched RAW from a distance away where it was being broadcast. They played poker while watching RAW because both men weren't crazy about Eric Bischoff. Liz and Rebecca would play with them while Cori entertained Cameron. Not much was going on in their peaceful lives.  
  
"You know, Chris." Shawn said one night, while they were sitting outside. They were as drunk as I don't know what, but still talking outside anyways.  
"What do I know?" Chris asked, his words kind of slurring together.  
  
"No, it's not about what you know, I was starting a new topic...I think." Shawn said, getting lost on his train of thought and finding what he was going to say again.  
  
"Oh, well, what do you want?" Chris asked before taking another swig of his beer.  
  
"I was thinking that maybe we should return soon. After all, we never know what Hunter could be planning." Shawn said. Chris sobered up a little bit to reply to that sentence.  
  
"That thought crossed my mind, too, but I wanted to wait for you to give the word. After all, you're the older one here." He said, smiling. "Respect your elders remember?"  
  
Shawn punched him.  
  
"Yeah, sure, you jackass." He retorted.  
  
"We were on the letter 'J'?"  
  
"We are now."  
  
"Ok," Chris said, then thought for a minute. "Shut up you kangaroo wannabe."  
  
"Loser."  
  
"Damn, you always get the easy letters," Chris mumbled. "Um, you maggot."  
  
Shawn sighed. "I hate the letter 'N' though. Um...Nincompoop?"  
  
Chris smiled. "Overly grown old man."  
  
"Very funny. Umm, piss poor performer." Shawn yelled. Chris threw his can down.  
  
"You always get the triple word bonus ones!!" He yelled. He picked his can up and hurled it at Shawn head. Bulls eye. Shawn sprung up, and they had a good-old fashioned wrestling match in the backyard of Shawn's huge house. When they began wrestling, it began to rain. It began to pour down rain, creating a muddy environment to fight in.  
  
Rebecca and Cori watched from the window. Liz had had to go back to work, so she couldn't visit Chris as often as she wanted to. Both women smiled at the sight of the two men fighting in the rain for no apparent reason and not because one has stolen the other's money. They were fighting because they could. Rebecca flipped on the porch light so they could see.  
  
Shawn's shirt was white at one time, but it was the color of mud now. Chris' t-shirt was the same way. You almost couldn't tell them apart because they were covered in mud. Both men continued to fight, and were having a hell of a time. "You're a quick, quacking, quitter!" Chris yelled, resuming their previous game.  
  
"Really? Run this sentence up your red -"  
  
"You son of a -"  
  
"That's it, think about it, you stupid thesaurus!" Shawn yelled. Chris burst out laughing.  
  
"A thesaurus? That's all you've got?"  
  
"For, now, yes, because it's wet and cold, so lets call it a night, eh?"  
  
"You making fun of me, Texan?"  
  
"Sure am." Shawn said. They both picked up their beer cans and put the chairs back on the patio.  
  
"Alright, let's finish this tomorrow." Chris said, and they prepard to walk in the house, when Rebecca stopped them.  
  
"You will not track all that mud through this house, leave those clothes where they are and I'll get you two a towel. Chris and Shawn shrugged. You just couldn't win sometimes. 


	33. Not all is well

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah, we all know this by now, but still I own Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: 118 Reviews!! Love each and every person who contributed to that!! You guys are really awesome!! Love all of ya!! BTW, make sure to check out Control by the one and only....Lizzie Borden!! (I'm in it!!) Also check out It Makes All The Difference by KrystalBlazeJerikor and Not Enough by Jeff's favourite skittle!! All of them are a must-read!!! Now...for the moment you've all been waiting for..(maybe, maybe not, I don't really know).....XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: "HOLLA IF YA HEAR ME!!" Scott Steiner's music blared through the arena, much to the dismay of the 12 GMs. Sure enough, Steiner soon appeared on the stage, boasting his huge arms, and smiling.  
  
"What the hell are all of you?" He yelled into the microphone. Lizzie grabbed the mic away from Kazza, and prepared her answer.  
  
"WE are YOUR new bosses!!" Lizzie yelled. "And if you got a problem with that, then you can kiss my-" she said, but was cut off when Rockie took the mic.  
  
"What she means, you huge purple-painted freak, is that if you can't deal with that, we have 6 guys standing right here, who would love for a chance to kick some ass around this place!! We could easily start with you, jabroni!!" Rockie said, then Akila got on the mic to talk smack.  
  
"So, Steiner, That should sum up what WE are, but I got a better question. What the hell are YOU?" Akila asked, then smiled as the crowd seemed to be behind her.  
  
"I am Freakzilla!!" Steiner yelled as Akila gave JB the mic. He continued, "I am big poppa-"  
  
"Dump." JB finished for him. "We all know, you're big poppa dump, and the words to your song aren't holla if ya hear me! They're Holla...if ya HATE me!!" JB yelled as the crowd also supported her answer. JB relinquished the mic to Steph as Scott just stared away at JB.  
  
"Um..and...and..." Steph started, but "big poppa dump" interrupted her.  
  
"Shut up, you pansy!!" he yelled before trying to go on to JB. Steph quickly regained her fighting spirit against this man and was no longer intimidated by him.  
  
"Hey!! Shut the hell up!!" She yelled at him. Jericho leaned in to whisper in Lizzie's ear.  
  
"There they go taking my line again...." he mumbled as Steph continued.  
  
"How dare you little jabroni," (Rock mutters something under his breath) "come out here and insult me and my friends like this? We are your bosses, and you WILL listen to whatever we have to say or your ass will be FIRED!!!!" Steph yelled like Vince. Her face was red when she finished because of all the yelling. The crowd was going crazy as all wandered what would go on next in this eventful RAW.  
  
**  
  
Chris leaned his head back against the seat in the plane he was riding in. Shawn Michaels was seated next to him, and was currently on the phone with Rebecca. Chris smiled inwardly as he thought of how much the man's spirits had gone up since he found her again.  
  
Chris couldn't say that much about himself. Liz was working right now, and he rarely got to see her. He had a horrible heartache over that, and for the first time in a long time, he saw again that his daughter was no longer just daddy's little girl. To prove this, he and she had gotten into a huge fight, which resulted in Cori moving in with Liz. He was slowly witnessing his relationship with his daughter roll down the tube.  
  
He leaned his head back again and closed his eyes.....maybe he could finally get some decent sleep.  
  
Shawn saw that Chris was asleep in his seat now, so he decided to call Liz. He knew that something was wrong, but Chris had refused to tell him. Even when you have two men talking to each other when no one's around; they're still stubborn jackasses and won't tell you anything.  
  
"Hello?" Liz asked, as she picked up the phone. Cori was sitting on the couch, looking at her anxiously. If that was HIM again...she didn't know what she would do.  
  
"Liz?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Yeah, Shawn, it's me. What are you calling for?" She asked. Cori went back to watching TV.  
  
"Well, Chris was really upset before he fell asleep on the plane, and I was just wondering if you knew what was going on, because he won't tell me anything."  
  
"Actually, I do know what's going on but, I don't know if Cori wants me to tell you, lemme ask her. Cori?" She said, before putting her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone. A few seconds later, Cori came on the phone, and she told Shawn the whole story about how Chris was upset over something when he got home, and they consequently got in a fight about the way she dressed. She got angry and called Liz to ask if she could move in with her. Within a few hours, Cori had cleaned out her room of everything and was waiting for Liz to come over.  
  
"He didn't stop you?" Shawn asked.  
  
"No, he was just silent, almost sad I think. What going on with him, is he ok?"  
  
"Yeah, he'll be fine. Be sure to watch the PPV tonight, ok?"  
  
"You got it. Bye Shawn."  
  
"Bye Cori." He said, then hung up his phone. Cori had done that on Friday. He and Chris had had the beer fight on last Sunday, so that meant he was alone in that house for the whole course of the day yesterday. Alone with his thoughts, alone with his plans. Shawn shook his head. He knew how that was, and that's hard on a man, no matter if he's made of steel or rubber. It eats away at you.  
  
**  
  
Shawn and Chris walked off the plane and into a rental car a few hours later. Chris was still abnormally silent.  
  
"Look," Shawn said, as they got in the car. "I know about what happened, and whatever you were thinking about doing, or going to do, it's not going to happen, ok?" Chris kept his head hung.  
  
"Chris, your daughter loves you. She always has, and always will, no matter how old she -or you- get. Now, whatever you were thinking about doing tonight, forget it. It's not gonna happen." Shawn finished, then started the car. Chris didn't move. Thoughts kept running through his mind. He still hadn't made up his mind about what he wanted to do. Survivor Series was quickly approaching, though. He only had a few hours to plan on what he was going to do. 


	34. Survior Series at Last

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N!!  
  
A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates once again. Schedule was busy this week and it shows no sign of slowing down. I will do my best to keep updating, and I hope that you'll bear with me. As far as this chapter goes, a few minor things will be changed for the story, but well, the outcome is the same, so it'll be ok.  
  
XA/N: The show had gone to a commercial break after Steph had made her stand, and all of the GMs had walked back to the locker rooms.  
  
"I'm tired, now all of that work is getting to me." JB said as she walked into the room. Shawn hugged her and grinned.  
  
"We're just getting started," he said as the others all filed into the room.  
  
"So now what?" Jericho asked pointedly after the door closed. JB had sat down in a chair and her eyelids were only halfway open. This was apparently amusing to all of the others in the room.  
  
"She looks stoned!!" Rockie yelled triumphantly. Kazza rolled her eyes and smiled as all of the others circled around to see her. Akila and Steph were making faces while Lizzie was playing with her hair, and still JB did not move. The guys all found this amusing as well, assuming that JB was just playing around with them. Shawn had a hint of concern on his face, but soon dismissed it.  
  
Until Scott Steiner walked in.  
  
"Where is she?" Steiner yelled. Everyone (excluding JB) stood up, as if on guard for something.  
  
"Who?" Jericho demanded. Kurt stood next to him, Edge behind them, and Jeff was standing on a chair to see over them. Rock was leaning against a wall, just staring at Steiner. Shawn was standing next to JB, who looked like she was about to pass out.  
  
"That stupid Steph girl and whoever that bitch was next to her. Never mind, I'll take them all out." Steiner yelled, but he was met with the punches from about 6 men at about the same time. The girls were just as eager to kick the crap out of him. Before they could knock him to the ground, he threw something in the direction of JB, and it exploded, sending everyone sprawling.  
  
**  
  
Jericho walked into his hotel room and slammed the bags down on the floor. He sat down on the bed and put his head in his hands. What Shawn said made perfect sense and he had every right to know exactly what was going on.  
  
But Chris couldn't quite let all of it go yet.  
  
He picked up the phone and dialed Cori's cell phone he'd given her for Christmas one year. It rang and rang and he was about to hang up when the phone was answered. He was about to say something when he heard something in the background.  
  
"-the hell is this? You stupid girl!! You're gonna pay for this!" Someone yelled on the other end. Before the line went dead he heard a girl screaming.  
  
Chris sat in shock with the phone in his hand. That voice was unmistakably Hunter's. What the hell would Hunter be doing with Cori's cell phone? Chris closed his eyes as if he was trying to block out the thought that had come to him.  
  
Shawn began to knock on the door at that time.  
  
"Chris! Open the door, I need to talk to you!" Shawn yelled as he pounded on the door. He lowered his head and waited for an answer. He hadn't really expected one, but it was still unsettling to not hear one. Shawn tried the doorknob and luckily it was unlocked. Shawn stepped in the room and saw Chris sitting on the bed with a phone in his hand, and tears in his eyes. He had a look of shock and disbelief on his face, other than that his face was expressionless.  
  
"Chris!!" Shawn said as he closed the door and crossed the room to talk to him. Chris was still staring out into the middle of space. Shawn waved his hand in front of him a few times and Chris' eyes started to look around the room again.  
  
"He got her, Shawn. That stupid son of a -"  
  
"Who?" Shawn said, interrupting him.  
  
"Hunter. I don't know how or why, but he did. I'm going to beat the holy hell out of him come tonight." Chris said, as his grip started to tighten on the hotel phone. Shawn looked puzzled as to what Chris was talking about, and the look on his face showed it. The only thing that he did know is that Hunter and any name of your family members or other loved ones, should never be used in the same sentence.  
  
**  
  
Chris had tried to explain everything to Shawn, and eventually everything was ironed out. Chris was still worried sick because he had called Liz's house and no one was answering. Shawn tried to remain positive about everything, but was finding it hard to do so, especially since Survivor Series was only hours from taking place. Both men were at the arena and starting to suit up for the elimination chamber. Hunter still wasn't there yet, and both men thought that he wouldn't show until the last possible minute.  
  
Chris was near hysterics, which was odd, by the time the PPV started. He was trying to clear his mind of his worries so that he could have a good match. It wasn't working too well.  
  
His music hit and he had no choice but to go out and face the crowd that would undoubtedly be booing him. He was locked in a chamber with the others as he watched Hunter walk down. He slammed his fists against the glass of his chamber at first, then gave up. He knew that his chamber was first to open. Hunter was going to get his. Not only from him, but from Shawn and pretty much everybody else locked in these chambers.  
  
Sure, enough, after a few minutes, his chamber was opened and he and RVD teamed up to beat the crap out of Hunter. Although Chris disliked RVD, he hated Hunter at the moment and would like nothing better than to pulverize him.  
  
One by one, the other chambers opened, releasing Kane, Booker T and Shawn Michaels into the fray. Shawn and Chris started to work on Hunter, while the others eliminated themselves. RVD, HBK, Y2J, and HHH were soon the only four left. Jericho was lying down in the ring and RVD went up top to do the frog-splash. He did it and came down a little awkwardly, landing on Jericho's throat. Chris felt the impact and didn't like the pain that it marked him with afterwards. He tried to cry out in pain, but realized soon that he couldn't. His voice was gone. Shawn had pinned RVD and eliminated him, leaving he Chris and Hunter alone.  
  
Shawn saw Chris lying in the corner of the ring and wanted to check on him, but he couldn't take his eyes off of Hunter for a moment. On the Titan- Tron, a video of Liz and Cori was playing, showing Hunter strike them. Chris had rolled around when he heard the crowd go silent. When he saw the tron, he was wishing that he hadn't.  
  
Both women looked, frankly put, like shit. Despite the pain that was shooting through Chris' body, he stood up and tackled Hunter to the ground before he could do anything to Shawn, who was still staring at the screen. Shawn was snapped back to reality and looked at Chris.  
  
"You ok?" Shawn yelled to him. Chris closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head no. He re-opened them and made the gesture to pin him. Shawn knew how much Chris wanted to be champion. Something must have been really wrong. Shawn pinned Chris for the 1-2-3, and Chris rolled out of the ring, where he slipped into blissful unconsciousness.  
  
Shawn turned around as soon as he finished pinning Chris. Hunter was waiting for him. Shawn ducked the punch that was thrown at his head and whirled around to deliver his own blow.  
  
"Payback's a bitch, isn't it Hunter?" He yelled. Every moment of pain that Shawn had felt over something that Hunter had done came flooding back to him at that moment. Shawn grew filled with rage. Not just for him, not just for Cameron and Rebecca, but now for Chris, Liz and Cori. Shawn gave Hunter punch after punch, with the crowd growing steadily behind him with each strike.  
  
Out of the corner of his eye, Shawn saw Chris being loaded onto a stretcher. He quickly dismissed it, so that he could continue his beating on Hunter. He was going to make sure Hunter was sorry for everything that he had done in his miserable, pathetic little life.  
  
5 minutes later, Shawn figured that he had done his justice. Hunter was lying on the ground with a bloody forehead and begging, almost praying for Shawn to end the match. Shawn tuned up the band and gave him the chin music. Then, he took his jolly time getting down to pin him. He got it for the 1-2-3. He was the World Championship. He could hear Cameron shouting in his mind. He accepted the title and stood around while the confetti spun around him. The roar of the crowd was deafening. In his heart, Shawn felt that everything was going to finally be good again. He felt that his journey for excellence had reached another stopping point.  
  
At least he did before he heard the strangled cry on the titantron. Shawn turned around to face it, and he felt his heart sink in his chest. 


	35. Hello

Disclaimer: I only own Cori and XA/N.  
  
A/N: Lack of updates. That is always something with me. I don't really have a regular time for updating, but you might as well figure that most updates (if not all) for a while, will be on weekends. Thank you to all who have been so supportive of me, throughout the laziness that I suffer from. It is for all of you, all of the reviewers (the peeps who gave me 133 reviews!!) that this story knows no end at this time, and new problems keep popping out of my head. Thank you for staying with me. I hope that I won't let you down!! (P.S. I know that I said I wouldn't add anyone else to the XA/N, but hell, It's my story and I'll do what I want. Jeff's favorite skittle, The Showstoppa, consider yourselves part of the family. (A messed up family, but a family nonetheless.) You will now be included in the XA/N with everyone else. Tell me who you would like to be your 'lover' so to speak, and if you would like someone who is already taken.....tell me anyways, and I'll think of something. Thanks for everything. That goes out to all of my reviewers!! (KazzaXTreme, Rockie, Lizzie Borden, HBKSteph, and KrystalBlazeJerikor. Also thanks to Sarah and Erin for checking out the story.) I think that this is the longest authors note I've ever written. Hold on, and I'll shut up, but have to do one more thing. If you haven't already, please, please, PLEASE, check out Drop to Zero, my other fic. Thanx!!  
  
XA/N: The thing that Steiner threw into the room exploded, sending everyone flying. Kazza slapped her head against the wall; all of the guys were thrown into the hallway, and some into the adjacent room. Other GMs were not so lucky, actually getting thrown through the walls. Among them, were JB, Steph, Akila, and Lizzie. Rockie was thrown across the hall with the guys and anyone else who I left out is lying on the floor somewhere.  
  
While all that happened, Skittle (hope its ok, if I call you that, if you got another name you want to be called, put it in your review), Showstoppa (same goes for you) were walking down the hall, discussing the new GMs. They heard the explosion (it was on the other side of the building), and decided to investigate.  
  
**This is the shortest XA/N I have, but I don't have much else to do right now, storywise and I'd like to get the info from our new recruits before I go any farther**  
  
**  
  
//Playground school bell rings again//  
  
Shawn turned around and felt his heart almost literally sink into his chest. The horrible video Hunter had most likely made was still playing on the titantron. It wasn't necessarily that, which bothered him. It was what he saw on the titantron. Shawn was suddenly glad that Chris had been ushered away in the stretcher. Liz and Cori were still on the screen. Only there was one small problem. Small was an understatement to Shawn. Hunter was going to pay very dearly for this, and he was going to help in the punishment right this instant.  
  
//Rain clouds come to play again//  
  
Liz was screaming, but beside her Cori was still.  
  
//Has no one told you she's not breathing?//  
  
There was a small bullet hole near her temple. Blood covered the whole right side of Cori face. She was dead. Shawn felt his blood boil. Hunter had tried to do this to him, but he had gotten there in time to stop it, or at least silence him. But Hunter just couldn't let it go at that. He had to take the life of a young woman who was just starting to experience the world.  
  
//Hello, I am your mind giving you//  
  
This was going to kill Chris.  
  
//Someone to talk to//  
  
Shawn whirled around and ducked just in time to miss a chair coming to meet him. He performed some sweet chin music, and used the chair to his advantage. He started to pound Hunter with it, over and over again until Hunter had blood spurting out of his mouth, and that huge nose of his. Shawn had flown into a blind rage and went on. He dug the chair into Hunter's stomach several times. Then he went for his knee. The bad one.  
  
//Hello//  
  
Shawn repeatedly beat that knee, until he was sure it was broken. Finally, after all of that, the officials decided that enough was enough. They pulled Shawn from Hunter, but Shawn wouldn't be held back. He wouldn't be dragged from the ring. Instead, he stormed out of the ring, determined to find Cori and Liz.  
  
//If I smile and don't believe//  
  
Shawn ran down each different hallway, knocking on every single one until he finally found one that seemed like the one that Hunter would hide them in. Coincidentally, it was the boiler room. He ran inside, and soon found that the tape was still taping and was hooked up to something that was rigged to play it on the titan tron. He heard cheers as soon as he helped Liz out of her chair. He then walked over to Cori and untied her. He laid her down on the ground as the medics came in, and shut off the tape.  
  
//Soon, I know, I'll wake from this dream//  
  
Shawn watched, tearfully as they zipped the black body bag around the young girl that he had known and accepted as his own. To his left, he heard Liz sobbing as she told the whole story to a police officer. Shawn knew that Chris hadn't heard the news yet, and he unfortunately had been christened to do just that.  
  
//Don't try to fix me, I'm not broken//  
  
With Liz sobbing quietly beside him, Shawn waited in the plastic hospital chair for Chris to wake up. He couldn't help but remember how this was him about two months ago. They had only swapped places. On a few different terms, of course, but still swapped places nonetheless. Shawn hadn't been able to watch as they had set Cori into the bag, he had only been able to peek when he knew that they were almost finished. Unfortunately, he had caught her face before it was sealed away from sight.  
  
//Hello, I am the lie living for you so you can hide//  
  
Her face had been youthful, so full of life, and yet...so lifeless, as he should've expected.  
  
//Don't cry//  
  
At 1:36AM, Chris finally opened his eyes to look around him. He was surprised to see that he was in a hospital, but he looked around anyways. He couldn't say anything; he already knew that, his voice was pooped for the time being. He then noticed that Liz was sitting by Shawn in chairs next to his bed. There should've been one more person.  
  
//Suddenly, I know I'm not sleeping//  
  
"Where's Cori?" he whispered in a hoarse voice. Shawn's eyes kind of misted over, but he told Chris what had happened anyways.  
  
//Hello, I'm still here//  
  
"She's dead, Chris. It was Hunter. He...shot her in the head...." Shawn said painfully. "After he'd....had his way with her." He stopped. He had to. Tears were falling from his face. Chris' face held shock and rage as Liz came over to sit next to him. Then he cried.....  
  
//All that's left of yesterday//  
  
**  
  
Song is Hello by Evanescence. 


	36. I've got a plan

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N now!!  
  
A/N: Hello again, last chapter was a sad one, I know, but hey, sad things make good stories right? And after sad things...revenge comes..bwahahahahahahah...Yeah, you get the picture. Uh..let's see, what else do I need to say before I think of something for XA/N? I know that I like to kill off my created characters. It's fun. Sometimes. Hey, it was either Cori or Liz, and Lizzie would have my head if I killed her off, wouldn't you Lizzie? So, since Cori was one of my characters, I thought that it was time for someone to die. I'm mean, yeah I know, but oh well. Hope that you'll still read anyways. Peace.  
  
XA/N: (This will be another fairly short XA/N, I can't help it. Unless motivation strikes me in the middle of writing it, it'll be short.)  
  
Skittle and Showstoppa raced to the scene of the explosion with the medics. Vince was also there by this time.  
  
"Man, I need to stop making decisions like this, or there'll be an assassination attempt on my life pretty soon!" Vince said. Stretchers were being wheeled away by the threes. Skittle ran up to walk with her best friend, whom had been injured. Yup, you guessed it. Jeff Hardy. Showstoppa decided to talk to Vince for a while. Everyone was still trying to figure out what had happened, why it had happened, and who, if anyone was killed.  
  
If everyone was lucky, there would be no fatalities.  
  
But luck is something that not everyone has.  
  
**  
  
Chris walked out of the hospital a week later. His voice wasn't completely back yet, but it would return in time. He had an arm around Liz, who was silent for the most part. She hadn't said much over the past week. No words needed to be spoken. Both were clinging to something that wasn't there, and both were thinking of revenge.  
  
Shawn was supposed to be picking them up from the hospital, and he was there, as promised. Shawn had learned the extent of the injuries that he had given to HHH at Survivor Series. He had a broken nose, a busted lip, bruised ribs, a torn ligament in his knee, and one huge black eye that would be there for quite a while.  
  
Chris was proud of what Shawn had done.  
  
But it was time for Chris to get some payback as well.  
  
Chris had already planned on beating the hell out of Hunter, that much he knew he was going to do. Maybe if he got a pardon in advance, he would kill him. But the chances of that happening were slim to none. Chris opened the door for Liz, and then closed it after her. He got in on the passenger side.  
  
"How you doin'?" Shawn asked him. They were in San Antonio, and Shawn was going to let them stay at his house. If they didn't mind Cameron asking them a million questions about nothing in particular, that was. (Of course everything was already ironed out as far as that went.)  
  
Chris forced a smile. "As good as I can be, considering." He told him. Shawn nodded and looked at Liz. She looked horrible and needed sleep badly.  
  
"How's she doing?" He whispered, as he started the car. Chris shook his head.  
  
"Not good at all, she thinks it's her fault that this happened. But it's not of course, it's Hunter's. Maybe part of my fault as well, but hey, Hunter takes most of the blame for this one." Chris said, his voice was a horrible sound to hear, in the place of his healthy one.  
  
**  
  
They had dropped Liz off at her apartment, which was not far outside of San Antonio. Chris and Liz had talked about doing that at the hospital, and both agreed to take some time apart.  
  
Shawn killed the engine and sat back in the seat. Chris looked like he was lost deep in thought. He knew exactly how Chris felt. The only difference in their situations was that Rebecca actually hadn't been dead. Cori was. And Shawn didn't think that she would be coming back anytime soon. Shawn had opened the door to get out when Chris muttered something.  
  
"What?" Shawn asked, not hearing him correctly. Chris looked at Shawn with a glint of the old Chris coming back in his eyes.  
  
"I've got a plan." He said hoarsely.  
  
** 


	37. Is Everything OK?

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N!!!  
  
A/N: Stupid site, it prevented me from updating my other story, Drop to Zero. That story didn't get updated until yesterday. Thank you to those who are **still** reading this story!! I hope that I have made it enjoyable for you. (I would assume that it is, because if it wasn't then you wouldn't bother with me anymore, would you?) Thank you all who reviewed!! Let me tell you this, I have no intention of stopping this story until I get 200 reviews, which at the current rate, might take a little longer than planned. Anyways, I thought that might be comforting to some. I'm telling you this because I would really like to see this story hit 200. If that means I have to have 60 chapters then, well, I guess so be it. Heads up though, I might need ideas (for XA/N) from time to time, so try to put some ideas in your reviews for me. Thanks a lot, and I'm going to shut up so that we can start this story. Akila: It is about time you updated that story, the only way out is in!! I haven't been able to read and review yet, but I will I promise, you just keep those chapters coming!! Same goes for you, Lizzie Borden!! You need to update Control!!  
  
XA/N: Ok, the whole regime of the GMs has been blown up..  
  
"How is he?" Kazza asked the doctor about her boyfriend Edge, like most of the other girls and guys of the regime were doing. (BTW, I hope that it is ok if I call the group, the regime because that is so much easier to type than the 12 new GMs of RAW.) Edge had suffered a concussion and broken bones. There was something else that they weren't telling her, but she knew it wasn't good.  
  
Kazza herself came off with minimal injuries, despite the "beating" she took. Akila was unconscious, with Jeff sitting by her side. He had taken a few bumps and bruises, not to mention a gash in his forehead, but all in all, he was ok.  
  
Lizzie was unconscious as well, and Chris didn't know about it. He, by far was in the worst shape, but he tied with Steph. Both were slipping fast into a coma. Kurt was worried sick. He was making everyone else want to punch him out in the process. He came off with the least amount of injuries.  
  
Rockie and Rock both were sitting in the main waiting room. Rock had a broken leg and a torn ligament, and Rockie came off with a broken arm. They were sitting across from Skittle, who was not allowed to go in to any of the rooms because she wasn't closely involved with any of them. JB was asleep at the current moment, and Shawn was hobbling over on his crutches to check on her.  
  
The doctor looked at Kazza and shook his head.  
  
"We don't know what will happen, or how he will be. It's the same situation for all of them. When we get any information-"  
  
"You'll let me know." Kazza said in a monotone voice. She'd heard that phrase way too many times in the past 4 hours.  
  
Shawn leaned over to look at JB. He wondered why she hadn't told him. He wondered if she had known. He wondered if...  
  
"It doesn't matter. I could fill my head with 'what if' all day, and it wouldn't change a thing." Shawn muttered. He grabbed a chair and painfully sat down. He really wanted to know if she had known.  
  
Out in the waiting room, Skittle was getting impatient.  
  
"Do they ever give anyone any updates around here?" She muttered to herself. She got up and began to walk down the hall, determined to get some answers....  
  
**  
  
Shawn stared at Chris.  
  
"What?" he asked, not sure if he had heard Chris right.  
  
"I said that I have a plan." Chris repeated with dead seriousness. Shawn shook his head and walked into the house. Chris got out of the car and followed him. When Shawn opened the door, he was tackled by Cameron.  
  
"Daddy!!" He screamed, flailing his arms and hugging Shawn. Shawn chuckled and picked up the boy and swung him around. Chris couldn't help but a make a connection with Cori at that moment, but he ignored it. It was time for payback.  
  
"What's your plan, Chris?" Shawn asked, as he set Cameron down again. Chris sighed. He wasn't sure if he wanted to do it, or if it would even work. Rebecca walked in at that moment and hugged Shawn.  
  
"Welcome back home, baby." She told him. Shawn and Rebecca hugged while Cameron was tugging at Chris' jeans to pick him up.  
  
"Uncle Chris!! I want up!!" He declared. Chris picked him up and slowly, the group made their way into the dining room to eat some dinner.  
  
*  
  
After dinner ended, Shawn and Chris sat outside, drinking a beer, when the subject of Chris' plan came up again.  
  
"What is it, Chris?" Shawn asked him for what seemed like the 40th time that day. "Whatever it is, I promise to help you with it."  
  
"(sigh) All right. Here's what I've got so far. We get Vince to fire him, if he hasn't already. We fight with Hunter and if we kill him, oh well." Chris said. Shawn sat in silence for a few minutes.  
  
"That's the plan?"  
  
"Yep, I told you before you got drunk that I hadn't worked out the fine details yet."  
  
"Obviously not." Shawn muttered. He was soon met with an empty beer can to the head. "Disqualification!!" Shawn yelled at Chris as they both started to wrestle again. For a moment, everything was ok again in the life of Chris Irvine.  
  
** 


	38. A Promise That's Going to Be Kept

Disclaimer: Don't really know why I keep putting this thing up here all the time, everyone knows I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: Hello everyone!! 143 reviews!! Freaking cool!! I know the last chapter was kind of short, and I'm sorry about that. Hopefully this one will end up being longer. Not really anything else to say, so I'll just start typing the chapter.  
  
XA/N: (Still haven't heard from Showstoppa, so, we're just going to keep on, sound good? Thought so.)  
  
Skittle began to walk down the main hallway of the hospital. She peeked in every room that she came across, but did not find the person that she was looking for. She turned the corner at the end of the hallway, only to have a hand clamped over her mouth and her world cast into darkness.  
  
Kazza rubbed her temples and sighed again. Edge was not making any progress as far as healing was concerned. She knew that everyone was in pretty bad shape. She leaned back in the hospital chair and stared out the window.  
  
Lizzie blinked and yawned as she woke up. She looked around the room, and didn't see Chris anywhere around. The thought struck her as odd. She patted her stomach absently, and thought about what she had to tell him when she saw him again. She wondered how he would take to being a father.  
  
Jeff patted Akila's hand as she came back into consciousness. She blinked a few times and smiled when she saw Jeff sitting in front of her.  
  
"Hey babe." He said, kissing her hand. Akila looked at him for a minute.  
"What's the story with you and that Skittle girl?" She asked sleepily. Jeff sighed a little bit and moved his eyes to the floor. Akila knew that something had happened between them in the past.  
  
"It's hard to explain...But I promise that someday I will tell you what happened." Jeff answered. Akila sighed herself, and nodded her head.  
  
Kurt Angle sat, staring at Steph while machines beeped endlessly in the room with him. He felt like crying, but he promised himself that he wouldn't. He simply buried his head in his hands and prayed.  
  
Shawn hobbled his way back into the waiting room. He couldn't bear to be sitting next to someone he felt like he couldn't trust. He sat down next to Rock and Rockie and began to watch re-runs of 'As The World Turns'.  
  
Not too far away, Skittle was screaming as loud as she could, but no one heard her. She was being dragged out of the building by someone with immensely huge arms...  
  
**  
  
Shawn bolted up in his bed. His face was covered in sweat and his breathing was heavy.  
  
That dream.  
  
Again.  
  
Shawn shook his head and got out of bed. The clock on his nightstand said 3:00AM, but he could've cared less. He put his robe on and walked out into the hall. He glanced down at Cameron's room, and noticed that the door was open. He walked down into the room and saw Chris sitting next to Cameron's bed. Tears were rolling down his face, and he was holding a picture in his hands.  
  
Shawn walked closer to Chris, and noticed that he had a bottle of rum in his other hand. He leaned in over Chris' shoulder and looked at the picture. It was actually two pictures in the frame. One was a picture of Cori and Cameron playing house. The second, was of Chris and Cori. They'd had the picture taken earlier in the year. Shawn felt his heart sink.  
  
"Chris," Shawn whispered, trying not to wake his son up. "Chris, do you want to go down to the kitchen with me, grab some grub and watch some TV?" Chris took another swig of the rum and slightly raised his eyes to look at Shawn.  
  
"Sure savior Shawn!! Make my life better again!! Bring Cori back from the dead." Chris slurred. Shawn grabbed his arm and hauled him up from the chair. They left Cameron's room and headed downstairs into the kitchen.  
  
"Now," Shawn said as he flipped the light on. "Pour that junk out and sit at the counter here." Chris held onto the bottle for a few more seconds, then walked over to the sink and poured it out. The tears still rolled down his face, and Chris sat on the barstool in front of Shawn's counter. Chris sat the picture on the counter and then buried his head in his hands.  
"Chris, none of this is your fault. You need to understand that bec-" Shawn started when Chris cut him off.  
  
"I know that it is not my fault Shawn. It's Hunter's fault. All his fault. My only problem with this whole ordeal is the fact that I knew that she'd been kidnapped by him, even if I was only going on a hunch. Maybe if I'd have followed my gut and tried to find her, I could've changed something." Chris muttered. Shawn sighed. Making Chris realize that he couldn't have changed anything was going to be tough.  
  
"Chris, no matter what you would've done, someone was going to die. Maybe it wouldn't have been Cori, maybe it would've been Liz." Shawn said. Chris showed a look of surprise; he hadn't thought of that. "Or, it could've been you, like you want it to be." Chris lowered his gaze from Shawn.  
  
"I know that you're right, but I just don't want to believe it. I just...." Chris trailed off. Then, he deadlocked his eyes with Shawn's. "I want him to pay Shawn, if I have to go to prison for it, then so be it. I'm not afraid of crossing that line anymore. Unfortunately, that might mean sacrificing my relationship with Liz, but I just don't think I could settle for beating the shit out of him. I probably won't be satisfied with killing him, either." Chris finished, lowering his eyes again. Shawn sighed and knew that he was going to be in a tough spot with this.  
  
"Shawn?" Rebecca asked from the stairs. Shawn felt horrible. She'd heard every word that Chris had just said.  
  
"Becky, can you go back upstairs for a few minutes?" Shawn asked.  
  
"The phone rang....it's....it's Hunter." Rebecca said shakily. Chris' body visibly tightened. He restrained himself from doing anything irrational, though. Shawn sighed.  
  
"Give me the phone." Shawn said. Chris gave Shawn a glare that was normally reserved for the people he fought in the ring. Rebecca handed him the phone that she had been covering the mouthpiece of.  
  
"Hello?" Shawn asked. Chris' hands became fists as he struggled to hold his tongue and his temper in check.  
  
"Hey Shawn, is Chris there? Nope, never mind, I already know the answer to that question. I'll just cut right to the chase. Put him on for me, will you?" Hunter said into the phone.  
  
"I don't think that's a very good idea right now Hunter." Shawn said. Rebecca stood behind Chris as Cameron stumbled his way downstairs.  
  
"Why not? I have to tell him something." Hunter said again, his tone of voice hinting that he was up to something.  
  
"I'll put you on speaker." Shawn said. He then put Hunter on speaker phone. Rebecca held onto Cameron as Shawn moved the whole phone closer to Chris.  
  
"Hey Chris!!" Hunter shouted joyfully through the phone. Chris cleared his throat and unclenched his fists.  
  
"Hey Hunter, how are you?" Chris said, sounding as cheerful as he could. If he couldn't inflict physical pain yet, he would piss him off by using mental power.  
  
"Not bad, thanks for asking. Now Chris, I know we've had a few misunderstandings in the past, and I think that this whole thing with Cori is another one of those misunderstandings." Hunter said. Shawn whispered for Rebecca to take Cameron upstairs, but she stood where she was, so he just wrapped his arms around her. Chris took a deep breath and tried to calm down.  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"Yeah, I mean, you know I was trying to get to Shawn. That was my only goal. Still is, as a matter of fact. But you know what? Your daughter actually screwed up my plan. She became attached to Shawn, much like you did, and that posed a problem. There wasn't supposed to be anyone to extract revenge on me once I was finished. She wasn't the only one, though. Rebecca and Cameron also posed as problems, but I suppose I could've taken them out at some point or another."  
  
"Get to the point Hunter." Chris said, his tone wavering slightly.  
  
"Oh, there really isn't a point, just this......" Hunter said as things moved around on the other end. A woman's voice came on the phone.  
  
"Dad?" She asked hopefully into the phone. Chris felt his blood boil.  
  
"Cori, what the hell?" Chris yelled as a gunshot was heard on the other end. More noise was on the other end.  
  
"What did you do? Stop playing with me you f-" Chris started to say, but was cut off again.  
  
"Sorry, I couldn't help myself. I'm just so proud of killing her, knowing that you were helpless." Chris flew into a rage.  
  
"You son of a bitch!" Chris said, pounding the phone. Tears that had slowed before were now falling freely again. "I swear to you and anyone else around here, with God as my witness, I WILL kill you Hunter. I will kill you-" Chris started to rant when Hunter cut him off.  
  
"You'd better do it soon, Chris. Next time it will be your little girlfriend." Hunter said before hanging up.  
  
"I'm gonna kill you!! " Chris screamed again, as he ripped the phone from where it was, and slung it against the wall in his blind rage. His worn body slumped against the wall and his tears fell faster. Rebecca took Cameron back upstairs as Shawn knelt next to him.  
  
"I'm gonna kill him Shawn. I don't care what it takes." Chris said with dead sincerity. Shawn could only wish he was joking. 


	39. Breathe Deep

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N. You all know that....  
A/N: Glad to hear that pretty much everyone liked the last chapter. As much as I hate to say it, it was fun to write. Not a whole lot else to tell you other than I'm **planning** on updating Drop to Zero either tonight or tomorrow, so be sure to check up on that story soon.  
  
XA/N: Skittle just got kidnapped, relationships are dieing and growing, sounds a lot like life.  
  
Skittle screamed and pounded on the arms of her attacker. They removed their hand briefly to cover it with a rag. The sweet scent filled her nostrils and she felt darkness coming over her. Skittle's complete body slumped down in the arms of her attacker.  
  
They opened the trunk of their car and placed Skittle in it. Soon after, Scott Steiner closed the trunk and got in the car. He would wait a little bit before leaving. Things were definitely getting interesting....  
  
Back in the hospital, Shawn paced the waiting room. He was still trying to decide if he had done the right thing. He had to check in on JB one more time and ask the doctor's if they knew anything else about it. Shawn made up his mind and headed down the hall to check in on her.  
  
Akila hugged Jeff as he slept. She couldn't help but wonder why Skittle had chosen this of all times to come back into Jeff's life, and she wanted to know what she (or he) had done to the other in the past. With thoughts swarming in her head, she fell into a blissfully dreamless sleep.  
  
Kurt held Steph's hand while drool hung out of his mouth. He had worried himself to sleep. Steph slowly opened her eyes to find this very odd picture. She couldn't help but smile at him. He was so devoted to her. Almost like a little puppy dog. She smiled and was contented just to stare at her.  
  
Lizzie buzzed the nurse for the 6th time.  
  
"What is going on out there?" She muttered. She wanted to know where Chris was. And the fact that the nurses weren't responding to her buzzer was not helping her anxiety. She wondered how everyone else was, and remembered that JB had to tell Shawn something, but she couldn't remember what. Lizzie let her head fall back against the pillows and tried to calm down. After all, what was the worst that could happen?  
  
In the OR, doctors were scrambling to get the supplies they needed. They were trying to save a life. Outside the double doors, a man standing on crutches was watching in horror as they worked on the girl inside. Shawn ran a hand through his hair and continued to watch, helplessly as they poked and pried to find out why JB had stopped breathing.  
  
Up in ICU, Chris Jericho was being kept alive by machines. Machines breathing for him, feeding him through a tube, watching his heart. The doctors doubted that he would make it through the night.  
  
Slowly, yet surely, the 12 GMs of RAW were falling. They were falling fast and hard.  
  
Had Steiner's plan finally succeeded?  
  
Did Vince somehow have anything to do with this?  
  
Were they set up?  
  
Will they all live?  
  
Check out next chapter to find out some of the answers to these questions!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn bolted down the hallway. Sweat poured down his face and his legs were beginning to tire.  
  
"Hunter!! I know you're there!! Show yourself!!" Shawn bellowed into the empty hallway. He could hear Chris' footsteps pounding behind him. They were going to find the stupid bastard and give him a piece of their pain.  
  
"Come and get it Shawn!!" Hunter's voice sounded back. Shawn looked around him briefly to try and catch sight of him. When Shawn returned to face in front of him, He ran right into Hunter. Hunter laughed. Chris came running around a corner.  
  
"Shoot him, Chris!!" Shawn yelled. "Shoot him!!" Chris blinked and looked at Shawn. He pointed the gun at Hunter. Sweat rolled into his eyes. Chris turned to face Shawn again. Then he pointed the gun at him, and pulled the trigger.  
  
"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" Shawn screamed and bolted up in bed. He wiped the sweat off of his face and sighed.  
  
That stupid dream.  
  
Again.  
  
He couldn't figure it out. Why did this dream keep playing through his head? Was it real? Shawn shook his head. It couldn't be true. He wondered how Chris was doing in the next room. The two were back traveling with RAW in an effort to get closer to Hunter, but naturally, Hunter was nowhere to be found.  
  
Shawn got up and pulled some jeans on. Then, he made his way across the hall to Chris' room. He knocked on the door before using the spare key to get in. He looked around the dark room and tried to find Chris.  
  
"Chris? Where are you?" Shawn asked. He heard Chris coughing. Shawn flicked the light on. Chris was sitting in the corner farthest from Shawn. Shawn stepped in and closed the door. Chris' head was tilted back against the wall, and he had another bottle of rum sitting beside him. As Shawn stepped deeper into the room, he noticed two empty bottles on the floor by the TV.  
  
"Been doing a little drinking have you?" Shawn asked, surveying the room. Chris smirked.  
  
"Only a little." He remarked. His smirk quickly disappeared. Shawn sat down on the floor next to Chris.  
  
"Spill it, buddy." He said. Chris sighed and pulled a piece of paper from his pocket. He tossed it at Shawn. Shawn opened it, and scanned the letter.  
  
"Kinda puts things in a different light, doesn't it?" Chris slurred, tipping the bottom of the bottle again.  
  
"Sure does. Hey, have you been having a weird dream lately?" Shawn asked. The question seemed to sober Chris' expression a bit.  
  
"Yeah, yeah I have. One where I'm running down a hall, and I hear you yelling, so I'm trying to find you, when I run into Hunter. We fight, and I usually end up getting shot. I don't know if I'm dead at that point, or not. Anyways, I keep running, and I see myself in the hall. So I follow myself and I see you a step or two back from Hunter. The other me has a gun, and you're telling him to shoot Hunter. He turns around and shoots you."  
  
Shawn shook his head.  
  
"I've been having that exact dream for weeks. I don't know what it means." Shawn said. Chris smirked.  
  
"Maybe we're psychic?" Chris asked.  
  
"Well, it looks like we're in for a long night, so what do you want to-" Shawn started, when the phone rang. Chris shot it an evil look. He picked up the cordless phone lying next to him, and answered it.  
  
"Hello?" He asked.  
  
"-ris, is ....ere? I need to ......he needs to know...." The other voice said between cuts in the antenna.  
  
"What?" Chris asked.  
  
"Is Sh-....with.....or.....I can't fi-...." Chris sighed and handed the phone to Shawn.  
  
"I think it's for you." He said. Shawn put the phone up to his ear.  
  
"Breathe deep, Shawn." The other line said before going dead. Gas began to pour through the vents.  
  
** 


	40. Dreams of Dreams and Guns

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N. Time and time again I put this up here, and nobody cares...  
  
A/N: All right. 154 reviews!! Hot damn!! You guys are all awesome. You know that don't you? Hopefully you do, and if you don't, well, I'm telling you now!! I love all of you guys for taking the time to review this story. It means a hell of a lot to me that it has gotten this many. I hope that I don't let any of you down in any of the chapters to come. Simply because whatever is in these chapters is not coming from a notebook (which is how I normally do this), it is coming straight from my head, so I don't get to look over it like I normally do. So if something sucks, I'm totally and utterly sorry. I'm just trying to tell you to please bear with me. I got to meet a person on the St. Louis Rams football team today!! Almost didn't get to because I almost missed the bus. (It wasn't my fault, I swear!!) Could be a very long story, so I won't get into it..... BTW, Skittle, you just guessed correctly on who your attacker was. Not a whole lot of planning went into it.  
  
XA/N: Basically, everything is going to hell, and everyone's in bad shape.  
  
The doctors continued to poke and pry on JB. Shawn closed his eyes and went to sit down in one of the closest chairs to him. His life was turning for the worse yet again.  
*  
  
Lizzie finally got her answer as to what the hell was going on. At that point, she also remembered what it was that JB had to tell Shawn. Lizzie slapped a hand to her forehead. How could she have forgotten about **that**?  
  
JB had to tell Shawn that she was pregnant.  
  
Lizzie smirked. She knew how much in love the two were, and she hoped that this would only cement the love they had. That brought on another thought.  
How was everyone else doing?  
  
Lizzie buzzed the nurse again, while her room phone began to ring.  
  
*  
  
Skittle woke up to find herself tied to a chair. She vaguely noticed that someone was setting up a camera in front of her. The last thought that ran through her mind before she blacked out again was about how Jeff was doing.  
  
*  
  
Rockie and Rock were still playing cards in the waiting room. They wondered how everyone else was doing, and decided to start making rounds to find out.  
  
*  
  
Akila stroked Jeff's hair as he mumbled in his sleep.  
  
"I-I can't.....do this anymore......you and I aren't made for each other....please don't cry Skittle.....I didn't want you to...." He mumbled. Akila blinked. He broke up with her?? For what???? And why did she still like him, which she obviously still did??????? Was she stupid or something?? Akila pondered these questions, when she saw that it was starting to rain. The phone in her room began to ring.  
*  
Steph and Kurt were talking and simply enjoying each other's company, when the phone in the room rang. Steph answered it.  
  
"Hello?" she asked.  
  
"YoU MiGhT HaVe LiVeD, BuT TwO Of YoUr FrIeNdS WiLl NoT. I CaN GuArAnTeE It." The voice said, then hung up. The voice was completely unable to be recognized.  
  
Steph hung up the phone and buzzed the nurse while Kurt stared at her strangely.  
  
*  
  
Shawn lifted his head as the doctor exited the OR. Shawn quickly stood up.  
  
"Is she ok? Will everything be all right?? What happened???" Shawn asked anxiously. The doctor motioned for Shawn to settle down, and that he would tell him everything.  
  
"Apparently someone sabotaged her air supply. They were smart enough to fill it with something that would trigger her asthma-"  
  
"She has asthma?" Shawn cut in. The doctor looked a little surprised, but continued nonetheless.  
  
"Yes, she has asthma, and I am surprised that you didn't know about it, since you claim to be the father of her child. Anyways, the person filled her air supply with an allergen that her asthma reacted sharply to. We had to force open her airways so that she could at least breathe when we ran into another problem."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"The phone in the OR rang and the person on the other line said something to the effect of she would not live through this, and if she did, she wouldn't be living for very much longer. After that, the person hung up." The doctor said. Shawn nodded and urged the doctor to get to the results of the operation.  
  
"We were able to save her life-"  
  
"That's wonderful Doc, now what about the baby?"  
  
"If you'd kindly let me finish, I would tell you. We were.....unable to save the child. The mother's reaction to the allergen that was put through her airways had serious repercussions on the child, and subsequently, she lost it. I'm sorry." The doctor said before turning to head up to ICU. Shawn sat down hard in the chair behind him.  
  
"No....no..." He said, over and over again.  
*  
On the floor right above him, Chris Jericho opened his eyes in time to see someone going over and shutting off all of his life support systems. Someone who looked painfully familiar.  
**  
  
Hope it was good!! Now onto the real story!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn noticed the gas that began to pour through the vents of the hotel room.  
  
"Oh shit." He said under his breath.  
  
"Oh shit what?? That's not good when you say 'oh shit', you know?" Chris said, rattling off. (He's drunk, what else did you expect?) Shawn shook his head. It had to be a dream; this couldn't be real. None of this could possibly real. Chris kept talking about something, while Shawn kept trying to think of what he needed to do. Suddenly, he hopped up and.....  
Shawn rolled over and fell of bed, knocking his head on the table that a lamp was positioned on.  
  
"Ow..." He groaned as he sat up. He looked at the digital clock. 3:53 AM.  
  
"Peachy." He muttered. He moved to his knees and glanced at his wife, who was sleeping like a log. "Thanks for caring, hon." He shook his head and stood up. He threw his robe around him and went down to the kitchen. That stupid dream. He never could make any sense out of it. In the dream, he had a dream. It made absolutely no sense to him. He walked in and flicked the light on.  
  
He walked over to the refrigerator and pulled the door open to find something good to eat. Or to drink. He wasn't really picky about what he ate. Food was food. He closed the door and fixed himself a sandwich and grabbed a beer. He made it as far as the doorway to the living room when he heard a loud thump from upstairs. He set his stuff down on the coffee table, and then headed up to check on everything.  
  
He peeked into Cameron's room, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He opened the door to his own room to find Rebecca still asleep.  
  
"That woman could sleep though an earthquake." He muttered to himself. Finally, Shawn came across the guest bedroom, where Chris was sleeping until he got himself back up on his feet. He knocked lightly, and opened the door. He was quite surprised with what he saw.  
  
A man, completely clad in black, was lying face down on the floor, with his hands and feet tied with a sheet from Chris' bed. Standing above the man, was Chris, holding the guy's gun. He had an awful look in his eyes.  
  
"Chris what is going on?" Shawn questioned him. He briefly glanced up, as if he'd just now noticed that Shawn was there. He held the gun steady and stared at the man. Shawn was beginning to question what Chris was going to do. When Cori was still alive, that was something you never had to question. He would do whatever he thought Cori would commend him for. He always wanted to be her hero.  
  
"Chris?" Shawn asked again. He was also beginning to wonder about that crazy look in his eyes. The only time that Shawn had ever seen Chris with that look was two nights ago when Hunter had called, and Chris made the promise that he would kill Hunter.  
  
Chris looked up again at the sound of his name. He reached over on the bed, and handed Shawn a piece of paper. Shawn had to read it twice to be sure of what he was reading.  
  
Chris: I told you to protect your girlfriend, but you just wouldn't listen to me would you? Now, look what happened. (There was a picture of Liz, battered and bloody, obviously a digital picture.) Meet me at the old warehouse in San Antonio on Monday night, 7:00Pm sharp. Don't be late, and don't bring any friends.  
  
You know what I can do.  
  
Hunter  
  
Shawn folded up the letter. He couldn't believe this. This was the exact same letter that he had been given in his dreams. This was definitely NOT a good sign.  
  
"Chris, give me the gun, you don't want to-"  
  
"Shut up Shawn. This asshole knows where they are. He knows where Liz is, and I intend fully on getting her back."  
  
"By killing him?" Shawn yelled, no longer caring who heard what.  
  
"Don't push me Shawn." Chris warned.  
  
"Somebody needs to, your being an ass, drowning yourself in all the blame for your daughter's death. There was absolutely NOTHING that you could've done!! Nothing Chris!! Whether you believe that or not, is up to you-"  
  
"Shut up Shawn, I'll deal with my pain any damn way that I want to!!" Chris yelled back at him.  
  
"This is STUPID, knock it off Chris!!" Shawn yelled back at him. Chris raised the gun from the guy on the floor to Shawn. Shawn stared at him with wide eyes. Chris set his jaw line and fired the gun. Shawn blinked and stared at Chris. He turned around to see a guy with a knife falling to the ground. He turned back to Chris, who was untying the guy on the floor.  
  
"Tell Trips that he's got a deal, and that I'll be there. Now, get out of here, before I change my mind about keeping you alive." Chris threatened. Shawn just stood there in disbelief. The guy left, dragging his buddy along with him.  
  
"You actually thought that I was going to shoot you, didn't you?" Chris asked him. Shawn swallowed.  
  
"Yeah, I actually did. You had that weird look in your eyes, and the only time that I've seen that was when you were totally about to do something irrational."  
  
"You know what?" Chris asked him.  
  
"What?" Shawn asked him, as the two friends walked out of the room.  
  
"For a moment there, I thought that I was going to shoot you." Chris admitted, before heading downstairs. Shawn stopped in his tracks.  
  
"Just kidding Shawn, just kidding!!" He yelled back at him. Shawn shook his head and followed him down. 


	41. 7:00 Tonight

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for XA/N!!  
  
A/N: 158 Reviews!! I LOVE you guys!! I'm sorry that I didn't get to update last weekend, that was mainly because my computer got fried by lightning, which has made me unable to get on the internet for a while, and I'm on my brother's computer currently. So, updates might not occur when I think that they need to. Now, on to XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: After everyone received the phone calls, all that could (which excluded JB & Chris & obviously Skittle) met in Lizzie's room to decide what to do.  
  
"Does anybody have any ideas?" Lizzie asked, acting as the head "honcho" since JB was in recovery. Shawn was on his way up to get Chris. Everyone shook their head no. Lizzie sighed.  
  
"We need to think of something to do, and we need to think of it fast. If somebody is out for all of us, and Skittle is missing, then we need to come up with some kind of plan." Steph said, suddenly feeling cold. Everyone knew that Skittle had been kidnapped because well, it didn't take a genius to figure that out. Nobody was quite sure what else to do. They had a few guesses as to who could be behind the kidnapping and the phone call. Steiner was another obvious guess. Hunter was suggested to have something against Shawn still. A few other names were tossed around, but none really amounted to any level of importance.  
  
Shawn suddenly ran into the room with a flushed face.  
  
"What's going on?" Akila asked him. She was as worried as everyone else was.  
  
".....Follow....me...." Shawn said, completely out of breath. Everyone followed him the best that they could up to Chris's room. When they got there, they saw Chris gasping for air, with bruises all over him. Lizzie screamed and ran over to him.  
  
"Chris!! Are you all right? Baby, tell me what happened." She said, hugging him and wiping the sweat off of his face.  
  
"He wasn't even breathing when I got here, I tried CPR to get him breathing and it luckily worked." Shawn explained. Steph suddenly looked around her.  
  
"Where's Kurt?" She asked. Everyone looked around to spot him, and he was seen talking to a doctor about something. The "talk seemed more like an argument. Kurt walked back in with a somber face.  
  
"Guys, we have a few more problems." Kurt said. Everyone stared at him with sadness. Whatever Kurt had to say, it couldn't be good.  
  
"One, is that the plane carrying the majority of the roster went down about 10 minutes ago, and nothing else about that is known right now." Everyone was horror-stricken. What the hell was going on?  
  
"The second thing is....JB." Kurt said. Shawn jerked his head to face Kurt. His eyes were pleading that she wasn't dead. Kurt sighed and raised his head.  
  
"She's....she's gone." Shawn bolted up and threw Kurt up against the wall.  
  
"What do you mean 'gone'? The woman was recovering!!" Shawn began to yell as Jeff, Rock, and Edge all began to try and pull Shawn back. The girls were all about to cry, and they didn't even try to stop the fight that was going on.  
  
"She's MISSING Shawn!! The hospital can't find her!!" Kurt screamed as he struggled to get away from Shawn. Shawn released his grasp, and suddenly began to feel sick and feel the room spin around him.  
  
"Oh God." He muttered before he collapsed to the floor. Chris stared at Shawn from the other side of the room as Jeff, Rock and Edge all kneeled down to check on Shawn. Kurt was making his way back over towards Shawn.  
  
"I know who did it." Chris whispered. Lizzie turned her head back to Chris.  
  
"What babe?" she asked, hugging him a little more tightly to her.  
  
"I know who took JB." He repeated.  
  
**  
  
Shawn looked at his watch. 5:09PM. Monday night. Chris was pacing the hell out of the floor. Shawn looked over at Rebecca, who was fixing supper. Shawn took a guess that Chris wouldn't be eating tonight. Not at this precise moment anyways.  
  
Chris finally sat down and buried his head in his hands. The clock kept ticking by his head. Minute by painful minute went by, and Chris was driving himself insane.  
  
"Shawn, I've got to go check that place out. Sitting here is driving me crazy!" Chris yelled. Shawn remained motionless in the chair. He merely looked up at Chris and returned back to his book.  
  
"I'm serious, Shawn, please. I can't stand it. This is tearing me apart!" Chris yelled. Shawn sighed and put his book down.  
  
"Look Chris, Hunter told you to show up at 7:00, and 7:00 is when you will be there. He can't kill her or do anything to harm her until you show up and try something on him. He wouldn't do that without some valid reason that you give him to." Shawn said calmly. Frustrated, Chris plopped down in the chair behind him, and leaned his head back. He closed his eyes.  
  
"I feel so lost, Shawn. I have no clue what the heck I'm doing from one day to the next. Cori is gone, and I've got a feeling that Liz isn't ever going to see me again. If she does it wouldn't be for-" Chris started mumbling, and slowly mumbled himself to sleep. Shawn let a smirk come across his face as he stood up to get Chris a blanket. Rebecca walked in to see Shawn covering up Chris, almost like he was his own son. The thought was sort of ironic because Shawn and Chris were only a few years apart in age, but most of the time, it was evident as to whom the mature one was. (Most of the time.)  
  
"Supper's ready babe." Rebecca said softly. Shawn sighed and turned to face his wife.  
  
"Sorry to disappoint you Becky, but I'm just not hungry right now." Rebecca nodded as she sighed a long sigh herself.  
  
"I know, I wasn't sure if anyone would want to eat or not, so I fixed supper anyways." She said. Shawn walked over and hugged her.  
  
"You know what?" he asked her.  
  
"What?" Shawn glanced back at Chris.  
  
"I can relate to what he's going through. Not having you around, even with what you had done to me, was almost unbearable. There had been more than one time when I thought of eating a bullet, but chose not to because of wrestling, and Cameron. Before Chris came along, I had deserted most of my friends, and I'm surprised that we hit it off so well." Rebecca nodded, and put her head on Shawn's shoulder.  
  
"Well, I'm glad that you chose not to kill yourself, because I think that you're the only thing between Chris and suicide right now." Shawn sighed once again.  
  
"Sadly enough, I don't think that I can help him for much longer. He's thinking seriously about it, and I know that whatever happens in that warehouse tonight is going to be a major factor in whether or not he decides to actually kill himself or not." Shawn said. Cameron came running into the room at that point.  
  
"Dad!! Somebody's here!" He yelled. Shawn's brow furrowed up in confusion. Rebecca had a similar look on her face.  
  
"Becky, were you expecting someone?" Shawn asked, pulling away from her to go and look out the window.  
  
"No....." She said. Chris shifted in the chair in his sleep. Shawn pulled back the curtain to look outside, and noticed that it was pouring down rain. He sighed inwardly as he looked around the neighborhood. He was about to ask Cameron if he was sure when he spotted a black SUV on the other side of the road. Shawn couldn't read the plates, but he didn't need to.  
  
"Hunter." He whispered. As if the name had some sort of power over Chris, he woke up when Shawn said the name. Chris stood up and yawned.  
  
Suddenly, from the kitchen, a huge amount of glass shattering could be heard. Hunter walked into the living room, and grabbed onto Cameron and Rebecca's arms as Shawn whirled around. Chris took one step towards them, and another man entered the room. He was massive in size, but his identity was unknown because of the ski mask he wore. The mystery man grabbed a hold of Cameron, so Hunter could point a gun at Rebecca's head.  
  
"You know what, Shawn? I think that I have been in a situation much like this before. Back when I thought that I had killed Rebecca the first time. Well, trust me when I say this, Shawn. This time, I WON'T miss." He said as he readied the gun. Chris bit his lip. The other man looked like he might have a gun, but Chris wasn't sure if he wanted to take his chances or not.  
  
"You know what? I've changed my mind about this. I think that I will wait until our previous appointment of 7:00 tonight. I think that we will resume this conversation there. Don't show up early or they all die." Hunter said, before storming off in the rain, with the massive man following behind, dragging Cameron along.  
  
Shawn released his fist that he had made to keep from almost committing suicide. His hand was bleeding from his nails digging into his skin. He turned to Chris.  
  
"We're going to get them back, Chris. No matter what." 


	42. Bring Me to Life

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: OK guys, here is the deal. I've got a new idea on the brain, and I really want to get started on it. (Start writing it.) I'm debating as to whether or not I want to keep this story going. So, now it is up to you, the reviewer/readers, to keep the story alive. As always, I need help with XA/N, and I'm begging for you guys to throw an idea/something that you want your character to do at me. I'd really appreciate it.  
  
XA/N: Chris knows who did it!!!  
  
Everyone turned to face Chris as he whispered in Lizzie's ear. A look of disgust cam over her face as she heard the name of their attacker.  
  
She turned to face everyone and tell them the person whom they needed to track down and kill, when a doctor rushed into the room.  
  
"What's going on in here? I have an intensive care patient on the floor and-"  
  
"Shut up Doc," Chris said hoarsely. "I'm fine." He tried to stand and miraculously did.  
  
Shawn and Jeff ushered the doctor out of the room, and when he had left, Lizzie revealed the name.  
  
"It was Hunter." She said. Shawn turned around to punch the wall.  
  
"That stupid son of a -"  
  
"Calm down Shawn." Kurt said, cutting him off. Emotions were all running wild and everyone just wanted to go home pretty much.  
  
"I will not calm down when I know damn well what he is going to do her!" Shawn yelled.  
  
"I have a plan, Shawn." Kurt said quietly. Everyone in the room looked up at him. *  
  
"This is never going to work." Shawn muttered as the 11 of them climbed into Kurt's huge van.  
  
"Why wouldn't it? Besides, I didn't hear you come up with any ideas." Kurt said. Shawn rolled his eyes and Rock laughed from the back. Rockie shook her head and elbowed him to shut up, hitting Akila in the process.  
  
"Watch it!" Akila yelled right into Edge's ear.  
  
"Shut up!" He yelled into Kazza's ear, and she, in response hit him, while also hitting Jeff.  
  
"Hey!!" he yelled, trying to move, but hitting Lizzie in the head while trying to do so. That, in turn caused Lizzie to fall on Chris. Not ready for the sudden impact of another person on him, Chris lost his balance on the seat and fell on Steph.  
  
"All of you knock it off back there!!" Kurt yelled. Shawn shook his head and smiled out the window. He spotted a gray car with the plates 'GAME'.  
  
"There he is!! Turn it on Kurt, turn it on!!" Kurt turned on the stereo he had installed with the speakers on the outside of the vehicle instead of the inside, and turned it up full blast. Everyone in the van had put in their earplugs by this time. Hunter was seen walking out of the car with his fingers in his ears to try and close the trunk. Kurt stepped on the gas, and rammed Hunter into the trunk of the car.  
  
Kurt turned off the stereo and hopped out of the car like a cop. He peered in the trunk and saw Hunter squirming around like something was biting him, which was true, in a sense. JB was in the bottom of the trunk, and was currently trying to get him off of her with the only thing that he hadn't tied up. Her mouth.  
  
Kurt laughed as Shawn came up next to him. Together, the two heaved Hunter out of the truck and into the back of the car. Then, Shawn helped JB out of the trunk.  
  
"I am never leaving your side again, you got that?" He asked, kissing her forehead over and over again.  
  
"Man, that's all I had to do to get you to pay attention to me? I need to try this more often!" JB said as she hugged him. The rest of the members all started to file out of the van with their earplugs still in. Most rolled their eyes at the sight, but Lizzie, Steph and Akila all clapped.  
  
JB looked around her. She noticed that Skittle was still missing. She walked over to the car, where Hunter was tied up in the back.  
  
"Where is she, Hunter? Where's Skittle?" She demanded. Shawn was standing right behind her, a crowbar in his hand, in case Hunter tried to do anything.  
  
"Old..warehouse...south....part...of...town....." He whispered as the music still played in his ears.  
  
"Let's go." JB said, as she turned to go towards the van. Suddenly, she doubled over in pain. Shawn was right next to her in a heartbeat.  
  
"Baby, what's wrong?" He asked as she drew in a sharp breath. Lizzie rushed over to her, with Chris not far behind.  
  
"My chest feels tight...I'm fine, nothing to worry about." She said, trying to stand up straight, but finding it hard to do.  
  
"You're not going anywhere." Shawn said.  
  
"That's right." A voice said from behind them. "You're not going to go anywhere."  
  
**  
  
//How can you see into my eyes like open doors//  
  
Shawn pulled up next to the warehouse, and turned the ignition off. Chris was in the passenger seat with his fists clenched. Both sat in silence for a moment. Neither one really knew what to think at this point in their lives. They had lost so much and gained just as much as friends. Both had been through an amazing amount of hell, and it all wound down to what was going to happen in this warehouse at any given moment. Shawn was the first to break the silence as the dashboard clock read 6:58PM.  
  
//leading you down into my core//  
  
"Hey, no matter what goes down in here, I just want you to know that you've been the best friend that I've had in a long time. You put with a lot of crap for me, and that says a lot. Just do one more thing for me before we go in there, will you?" he asked.  
  
//Where I've become so numb//  
  
"What's that?" Chris finally asked, his eyes not leaving the door to the warehouse.  
  
//Without a soul//  
  
"When we go in there," Shawn said, glancing to see that it was 7:00, "Try not to get yourself killed. I'd like to get a rematch with that beer-mud fight, you know." Chris smirked and looked at him.  
  
//My spirit sleeping somewhere cold//  
  
"I'll do my best." He promised, before opening the door of the truck. Shawn did likewise and they headed up to the door of the warehouse.  
  
//Until you find it there and lead it back home//  
  
Chris opened the door and was met with a gun pointed to his face. The man holding the gun gestured for Chris and Shawn to come inside.  
  
//Wake me up inside//  
  
They both stepped into the open warehouse and knew immediately, that more likely than not, weren't going to leave this place. A spotlight shown down in the middle of the huge room on three people tied to chairs.  
  
//Wake me up inside//  
  
Hunter walked out into the middle of the room into the spotlight. Shawn and Chris were ushered into the light with him. The three people in the chairs identities were now clear. They were Liz, Cameron and Rebecca.  
  
//Call my name and save me from the dark//  
  
Both men had to restrain themselves from comforting their loves or killing Hunter on the spot. Before they had a chance to do either, the huge man they saw earlier walked into the light. Shawn wanted to kill him as soon as his face was revealed.  
  
//Bid my blood to run//  
  
It was Kevin Nash.  
  
//Before I come undone//  
  
Kevin smiled at Shawn's mixed reaction of horror and hate. Chris had a complete look of shock written all over his face.  
  
//Save me from the nothing I've become//\  
  
"Thought you'd never see me again, did you Shawn?" Kevin asked. "You thought that when I got injured that would be the last of me, didn't you?" Chris's reaction changed to confusion as the two men stared each other down. He suddenly began to think that he was being set up for something.  
  
//Now that I know what I'm without//  
  
Chris tried to take a step back, but found that he couldn't because someone was holding a gun to his back. He saw that Shawn was getting the same treatment as he was, but that didn't ease his conscience.  
  
//You can't just leave me//  
  
Shawn punched Kevin in the face as Hunter began to smile. The man with a gun behind Shawn aimed it at him. Hunter nodded, and the man shot Shawn in the back of the leg. He went down with a cry of pain. Chris had to hold his anger in check for fear of jeopardizing Liz, Cameron, and Rebecca. Then he noticed something.  
  
//Breathe into me and make me real//  
  
None of them were moving. None of them had even acknowledged their entrance. Shawn was struggling to regain his balance. He looked at Chris, who was staring at Liz, Cameron and Rebecca. Chris's face was beginning to twist into an unreadable anger. That's when Shawn noticed it.  
  
//Bring me to life//  
  
They had come here to unknowingly commit suicide. All in the hope of getting back their loved ones.  
  
//Wake me up inside//  
  
"So Chris was right," Shawn thought to himself, as anger took hold of him, throwing all sense out of the window. His vision became red.  
  
//Wake me up inside//  
  
Shawn leapt up with such agility and speed, that almost no one had noticed it until after it had happened. He took down Kevin and the man with the gun. Chris noticed what was going on quickly, and that's all it took to set him off. He grabbed the guy's gun from behind him, and shot him in the heart. Chris whirled around to see that Hunter was running.  
  
//Call my name and save me from the dark//  
  
Shawn was holding the gun over Kevin and the other weird guy when Chris took off after Hunter. Shawn decided to make quick work of these guys to get a piece of Hunter. He shot the unknown man without a second thought when he got to Kevin.  
  
//Bid my blood to run//  
  
"So you set this whole thing up, huh Kev? Started the idea in my wife's head, and then helped with the plot to bring me home? What is the matter with you? Since when did you become such a freaking moron to align yourself with Hunter?" Shawn asked, holding the gun to Kevin's head.  
  
//Before I come undone//  
  
"Since you decided to go off and steal the spotlight again." Kevin said before jumping up and tackling Shawn to the ground. The gun went flying and both men started to battle for their lives.  
  
//Save me from the nothing I've become//  
  
Chris caught up with Hunter not long after he made it outside of the warehouse. Hunter had run to the edge of the docks, when he saw that he had nowhere to go. Chris walked up to him as Hunter turned around. Hunter's eyes were wide with fear as he knew that he would not be leaving this dock with his life.  
  
//Bring me to life//  
  
"If you think that I will show you mercy, you are sadly mistaken." Chris said, towering over Hunter, although Hunter was a good 3 inches taller than him. Hunter cowered in fear beneath him and Chris liked the feeling of having the power over deciding someone's fate. Especially someone who had killed his daughter and his girlfriend.  
  
//Frozen inside without your touch//  
  
"Put the gun down, Chris. You don't want to shoot him." A voice said from behind Chris. The voice belonged to Kevin Nash. Chris lowered his glance for a moment.  
  
//Without your love, darling//  
  
"Oh I don't huh?" Chris asked, and Kevin shook his head. From the change of look on Hunter's face, Chris could tell that Kevin was right behind him.  
  
//Only you are the life among the dead//  
  
"I beg to differ, Kevin." Chris said before pulling the trigger of the gun and firing a bullet into Hunter's forehead. He didn't stop pulling the trigger until he had one bullet left. He was saving that for the wise-ass monkey behind him.  
  
//All this time, I can't believe I couldn't see//  
  
"Way to go you piece of shit." Kevin said, before hitting Chris in the neck with the butt of his gun. Chris went sprawling forwards over Hunter. His gun fell to the ground.  
  
//Kept in the dark, but you were there in front of me//  
  
Kevin lowered the gun to Chris's head, and Chris stared down the end of it without fear. After all, he had been pointing one at himself from time to time over the past 2 weeks or so, why would he fear death now?  
  
//I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems//  
  
"Dad?" a voice echoed from the warehouse. Chris moved his eyes back to the warehouse door for a moment, trying to figure out if he dared to believe that it was his daughter yelling his name. He saw nothing, but the screams echoed in his head. Kevin tightened his finger around the trigger.  
  
//Got to open my eyes to everything//  
  
Chris kicked Kevin's legs out from under him as he pulled the trigger. Kevin's hand was aimed perfectly to where the shot killed him. Chris stood up slowly and picked up Kevin's gun before he jogged into the warehouse.  
  
//Without a thought, without a voice, without a soul//  
  
Chris entered the warehouse to find Shawn lying on the floor next to Liz, Cameron and Rebecca's chairs. Chris jogged over to him and sat down.  
  
//Don't let me die here//  
  
"Shawn? Buddy, can you hear me?" Chris asked, knowing that the voice he had heard was only a figment of his imagination. Shawn was the primary focus of attention now. Shawn made no move to acknowledge Chris.  
  
//There must be something more//  
  
"Shawn, dammit, don't you leave me here alone. You can't die until I tell you." Chris said, tears coming to his eyes. No sirens could be heard anywhere, and Chris was all alone in a tomb. "Wake up Shawn, or I swear to God I will beat you back to life, you hear me?"  
  
//Bring me to life//  
  
"Shawn.." Chris said, putting his head in his hands as he sat on the cold floor next to him. A gun clicked behind Chris.  
  
"Say your prayers, Irvine." A voice said from behind him. 


	43. Know No More

Disclaimer: As in the previous 42 chapters, I only own XA/N. Nothing else. (But everyone who is reading this and actually gives a crap, knows by now that I don't own much else, so why do I even bother with this anymore?)  
  
A/N: I forgot to mention this in the last chapter, but the song that was in the chapter was "Bring Me to Life" by Evanescence. Most of you have probably heard the song and knew what it was anyways, but I'm just going to clarify that just in case. Next thing I need to rattle about is that school is finally out and updates will be more frequent. For those of you who read Drop to Zero as well as this story, you know that I said every other day. Well, since the story Drop to Zero is not even finished in the writing sense that might be kind of difficult to do. As always, thank you for having patience with me and still reviewing this story. (Which, by the way, IS going to keep on until I can't possibly think of another problem to throw at them.) Peace all.  
  
XA/N: Who is the mystery man who said that we aren't going to go anywhere?  
  
Dun dun dun!!  
  
It was.......................Vince McMahon!!!!!  
  
"Vince, wha-what do you mean?" Lizzie stuttered out.  
  
"Exactly what I mean," Vince said, raising a gun. "The murder of a young girl will surely give us ratings when no one believes that it is real."  
  
"Ratings? That is a bunch of bullshit, Vince and you know it!" JB screamed, while Shawn was trying to settle her down.  
  
"You are willing to risk the life of a young girl for the simple reason of ratings?" Steph asked in disbelief. Akila had to be restrained by Jeff in order to not walk over to Vince and blast his bloody lights out.  
  
Skittle, meanwhile, was not even in the warehouse at all. She was tied up in the back of a van that was parked about five feet from where they were all standing. She was looking out the back window and just praying that someone would come and find her.  
  
"Vince, this is stupid and crazy!" Shawn yelled.  
  
"I beg to differ, Shawn. This is a calculated risk. I believe that we can profit from this." Vince said, holding the gun steady.  
  
"Profit how?" Jericho demanded. "You will have women's rights people jumping down your throat, not to mention a very large number of upset parents who found out that when their child tried to murder their little brother or sister when asked where they saw it form and they answer wrestling, you're gonna be screwed. You're putting nails in a coffin, Vince, there is no upside to any of this." Jeff nodded.  
  
"Besides Vince, people don't want to see killing on wrestling. They want to see awesome storylines about wrestlers. Not poor storylines about murderers and HLA." Jeff said. The GMs nodded their heads. Vince seemed to ponder this for a moment, when all of a sudden, an explosion sounded from behind them.  
  
"Oh shit." Skittle thought, as she saw what was going on behind them.  
  
**  
  
"Say your prayers, Irvine." A voice said from behind Chris. Chris closed his eyes and wished that he could be left alone. He didn't need anymore of this. This was all going to end, right here, and right now.  
  
"What do you want, Flair?" Chris asked him, knowing the man behind him by voice. Ric smiled.  
  
"You. Dead. That's what I want, Chris. You killed Hunter and Kevin. Now, I'm gonna kill you." He said. Chris looked down for a minute. He was still kneeling on the cold concrete floor, and he still had Shawn's head in his lap. He noticed Shawn begin to blink. Shawn gave Chris a puzzled look, but Chris silenced him with his eyes. He had a plan.  
  
"What do you have to say to that, Chris? Do you agree?" Ric asked, walking closer to Chris. Shawn recognized the voice and understood what was happening.  
  
"You killed my daughter, you killed my girlfriend, you killed Rebecca, Cameron and Shawn, what else do you need to take from me?" Chris said, an expression completely unreadable coming across his face. Shawn winced as Chris moved his knees. He was getting ready to strike.  
  
"I still need to take your life, Chris. That's the only thing left to take. When we killed your daughter, it took your heart. When we killed Liz, it took your soul. When we killed Shawn and his family, it took your common sense and your sense of reality. The only thing left to take is your life, Chris. It's the only thing left." Ric said, as he put a hand on Chris' shoulder. He saw Shawn's bloody face in Chris' lap. Ric smiled.  
  
"You know Irvine, you really could've been something great in your life, like Hunter was. If you hadn't become preoccupied with making friends and getting laid, you'd have really prospered, you know that?" Chris was biting his tongue to not say something to him. He looked the other way as Ric kept talking.  
  
"Instead, you made friends and met girls that you liked. You lost sight of your goal."  
  
"And what was that goal, Flair? What makes you so sure that you even know me?" Chris demanded. Flair walked in front of him and squatted down.  
  
"Your goal was first to be the World Heavyweight Champion. Then, you wanted to make enough money for your daughter to go to a good school, and you hoped to find a good girl and settle down. After those things went wrong, you began to set new goals. When you heard of Rebecca's death, you wanted revenge on Hunter along with Shawn. Although, you weren't as bloodthirsty as he was, you still wanted some payback." Chris just looked at Flair. A moron could've made these accusations. Flair was just attempting to be big and bad. Chris was going to let him finish saying what he was at this point, then he was going to shut him up for once and for all.  
  
"When Cori was killed, you wanted Hunter's head on a plate, and then you would only wish that you could've given him a more painful death than what you did. Now that everyone else is dead, as well as Hunter, there is only one person to let the final anger out on. That person being me. You see, I can't afford to let you run around, because then I would have to be looking over my shoulder all the time, and no one wants that." Flair finished. Chris nodded and pretended to look interested. Then, he stood up.  
  
"You want to take me out Flair? Do it man to man. Put your gun down and fight me." Chris said, taking a couple steps away from Shawn. Flair smiled.  
  
"I was hoping you'd ask me that." He said as he threw his gun down and took his coat off. Sirens were now becoming audible in the distance. Ric and Chris circled around for a little bit, then they finally locked up. Chris punched Ric in the ribs a few times, and Ric responded with a low blow kick. Chris doubled over in pain, and Ric used that to his advantage as well.  
  
"Come on King of the World, show me what you got!!" Ric yelled as he kicked Chris in the face, and sent him sprawling on the floor. Chris tried to catch his breath and regain control of this fight. The sirens were getting closer, and Flair knew that he had to finish Chris off before they got too close so that he could escape. Ric started to pull Chris up off of the floor, when Chris shot up with a chain and started whipping Flair with it.  
  
"How do you like that, Nature Boy? Doesn't feel so good to you does it?" Chris yelled as he slung the chain against Flair's back. Chris doubled the chain up and wrapped it around his fist. "Feel the pain of nature, you son of a bitch." He said to Flair before low- blowing him. Flair fell down to the concrete and began to weep.  
  
Chris walked over to Shawn to check on him. He wasn't moving, but his eyes were open and he had been watching the whole fight. He forced a smile when Chris asked how he was.  
  
"Not too terribly bad, how about yourself?" Shawn replied, taking his eyes off of Flair for a moment.  
  
"Not too bad, but better, knowing that you're not dead." Chris said, as both friends laughed. Chris heard the click of a gun behind him again.  
  
"Game over, Chris." Ric said. Chris stood up and turned his head to look in Flair's direction. It gave him a hint of a demonic look.  
  
"Oh this game is just beginning." He said. Flair fired three bullets into Chris' back as the cops pulled up. Chris let out a cry as he fell to his knees. He was vaguely aware of the cops running past him to catch Flair undoubtedly. He was also vaguely aware of Shawn yelling at him. He noticed a paramedic rushing towards him.  
  
Then he fell backwards and hit his head on the concrete floor. After that, he knew no more..... **  
  
Read and Review!! BTW, I still need some kind of an idea for XA/N so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE help me out on that!!!! 


	44. A Friggin Big Knot

Disclaimer: You know this by now.  
  
A/N: I'm BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!!!!! It is time to continue this beast!!!! I'm sorry for my absence, but I was suffering from severe writer's block. I still have it in the case of XA/N, so that will be put on hold for right now, until I get a good idea. In which case, I need you guys' help. Please throw any ideas at me for XA/N, because I have no idea what to do.  
  
**  
  
Shawn hobbled into his friend's hospital room using the crutches the hospital told him that he "must" use if he ever wanted to fully heal. He made his way across the room and sat down in one of the plastic chairs next to his bed.  
  
Shawn wondered what Chris was thinking at this moment, if he was able to think at all in a coma. He'd have to remember to ask him when he woke up. He leaned back in the chair, and for the moment was content just to sit and stare at the methodical breathing of Chris' chest. Shawn hoped that he'd get the chance to thank his friend, or simply just talk to him again.  
  
Chris suddenly moved in his deep sleep. His head jerked back and forth, as if trying to deny something. Even in a coma, you could dream apparently. Shawn merely leaned back further into the chair and tried to think of what he could be dreaming about.  
  
"He could be dreaming about better times," Shawn said out loud to no one in particular. Chris winced in his sleep. Shawn felt himself getting sleep as well. He closed his eyes and drifted off.  
  
*  
  
"Cori, open the door, I know that you're in there! Come on!! I need to take a shower!" Chris yelled through the door. Cori muttered something back at him.  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"I said 'I wish you weren't such a prick.'" She said, as she opened the door and stormed past him. Chris had stood there dumbfounded. When this had occurred in real life, he had followed her, demanding an explanation, and only making things worse. In this dream, he instead wondered into the bathroom and looked at the trashcan.  
  
A discarded pregnancy test lay partially hidden under a wad of Kleenex.  
  
Chris felt his heart sink lower into the ground. He felt so horrible for everything that he remember saying to her. He picked it up, with the box and looked at the results.  
  
His fifteen - year - old daughter was pregnant.  
  
And he had not known a thing.  
  
He looked up and saw Cori standing in the doorframe. They heard the two of them arguing in the other room as, what had happened in real life.  
  
"I didn't know how to tell you without having you overreact." Cori admitted to him. Chris, brimming with tears, merely nodded.  
  
"I am so sorry, Cori, I should've been more patient with you. I should've tried harder for you. I am so sorry...just so sorry.." he said, walking closer to his dead daughter. She looked up at him and smiled a little.  
  
"It's partially my fault too, Dad." She said to him. Tears rolled down Chris' face as he stepped closer and hugged his daughter. He knew that he was either dreaming or dead, since he was actually able to hug her instead of walking right through her.  
  
"So, who was the father?" Chris asked her while they were hugging. Cori was silent for a moment, and thought about this answer.  
  
"Someone you work with." She said quietly. Anger washed over Chris.  
  
"Who?" He asked as patiently as he could.  
  
"(mumbles something inaudible)"  
  
"Who?" Chris asked her again.  
  
"Randy Orton." She said in a very small voice. Chris closed his eyes and let that information sink in.  
  
"Did he rape you?" He asked her gently, pulling out of their embrace to study her face.  
  
She looked down. "Yes," she whispered. Chris felt like kicking himself. He'd been such an asshole to her on this day, and now he was regretting everything he'd said, just like he had been right after finding out she was killed.  
  
Chris put his hand under her chin and titled it up to face him.  
  
"I promise I will make him pay." He told her sincerely. Tears spilled over her cheeks.  
  
"Ok," she said faintly, then like a ghost, she faded from his view. Chris walked out into the hall, and saw himself sitting on the sofa with his head buried in his hands. At that moment, he wished that he could turn back time and fix all of the things he had wronged.  
  
But he knew that he could only try and fix things from where he was at this point in his life. There was no going back, no second chances. He had come to that conclusion the night Cori was killed.  
  
"I believe in struggle. And I believe that the struggle is beautiful. You have to try it or you will never know what's beyond it." Chris thought. Where had he heard that quote from?  
  
Maybe the answers would come soon as he tried to untangle the knot his life was in.  
  
* 


	45. Hospital Talk

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N. End of Story  
  
A/N: Well, I still haven't gotten any clue as to what I'm gonna do for the XA/N, but I'm working something up in my mind. I think that we might be able to continue that again next chapter!! Thanks to those who reviewed last chapter, I know that it was a little confusing, and yes, Chris was dreaming the whole thing with him and his daughter. 172 reviews!! Woo hoo!!! Tell your buds to check out my story as well! My goal for this story is to get 200 reviews, do you think we can make it?  
  
**  
  
Shawn jolted himself awake in the hospital chair. He leaned his neck to the side, and it popped, since he had been sleeping with his neck in the other direction. His neck was still stiff, but he figured he could live with it. He slowly looked over towards Chris' hospital bed and noticed that he was no longer laying in it.  
  
"What the -" Shawn muttered, then the bathroom door opened. Chris slowly walked out.  
  
"I was beginning to wonder if you would ever wake up." He said to Shawn. Shawn chuckled a little bit as Chris made his way back over to the bed.  
  
"I could say the same for you. You were laying here on this stupid bed for a week." Shawn told him. Chris nodded.  
  
"Yeah I can tell, my legs hurt, my arms hurt, my back hurts, my neck hurts, everything pretty much hurts." He said, sitting back down on the bed.  
  
"When did you wake up?" Shawn asked, sitting up in his chair.  
  
"Oh, about a few hours ago. I have to tell you about-" Chris started when the doctor walked back in. Shawn elbowed him and leaned over to whisper something to him.  
  
"How come YOU get the female doctors, and I have to deal with balding old men?" Shawn asked him jokingly.  
  
"I'm just more important than you, I am the king of bling - bling, you know." Chris told him with a wink, and Shawn just rolled his eyes.  
  
"Mr. Irvine, how are you feeling now that you are awake?" The doctor asked him, speaking with a slight accent.  
  
"Not too bad, considering." He said, as he remembered everything that had occurred to put him where he was.  
  
The doctor nodded and read his blood pressure. She was about to walk out the door, when she turned to face both of them.  
  
"Would you like me to send in your families now?" She asked. Chris looked at Shawn.  
  
"They're...they're alive?" Chris asked him. Shawn smirked.  
  
"Yeah, I was just getting ready to tell you, when she walked in." Chris turned back to the doctor.  
  
"Send them in right away!" Chris almost yelled he was so happy.  
  
"Ok." The doctor said. Chris turned back to Shawn again.  
  
"How were they alive?" He demanded to know how they could be alive after what he had seen.  
  
"They were unconscious, Chris. We acted too soon. Right after you passed out from Ric shooting you, Rebecca started to wake up. Cameron and Liz followed soon after."  
  
"Was Ric caught?" Chris asked.  
  
"Yeah, they caught him faster that you can say 'highlight of the night'." Shawn said, Chris smiled.  
  
"I have to tell you about what happened while I was in the coma." Chris started. Shawn nodded.  
  
"I saw Cori, and we were back at the house. It was the day that I argued with her, and the same day that she was killed. I was able to step into the bathroom, which I hadn't done before. I saw a pregnancy test in the trash, and I knew it had to be hers. It said that she was indeed pregnant, and that's when I saw her. She told me that she had been raped by Randy Orton, and judging by the look on your face, you think that I am crazy." Chris finished.  
  
"I don't think you're crazy, I'm just wondering why you think that all of this is what really happened." Shawn told him. Chris closed his eyes. He was tired and couldn't explain any of this to Shawn. He just felt like it was what had happened. There was no way TO explain it. The doctor walked back in at that point.  
  
"I can't find them, you're family must have gone home early, would you like me to call them?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, go ahead and call them, but I might be asleep again by the time they get here. Just wake me back up when they get here if you can, ok doc?" Chris asked. Shawn got up, and grabbed his crutches.  
  
"I'll talk to you later man."  
  
"Yeah.." Chris said, as he was already on the verge of sleep.  
  
**  
  
Dumb chapter, I know, but it was in a hurry, please review!! 


	46. Bedtime Thoughts

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N!! Nothing more, nothing less.  
  
A/N: The site officially hates me. I have been trying to upload chapters to all three of my stories for the past 3 days. I don't know if it will show up when it gets to the main page, but when I preview the document, all of the apostrophes and quotations have weird symbols for them. I don't know what to do about it, and there's no way to get rid of it. It might just be the site, I do not know. I am really sorry about it and hope that you can still read the chapter fairly well. Well, I am back again, and if you have checked out my two other stories, you would know, that July 15th was my one-year anniversary on fanfic. I keep saying that because I am just so cotton picking proud of myself!! Normally, I wouldn't stay interested with things this long, so this is a plus!! Here is to another year full of great stories!! What do ya say?  
  
XA/N: Yes, it has returned!!!!! Now, cut me some slack because, God knows that I will need it, being rusty off of this thing and all. Hope its good!  
  
*  
  
The last sound remembered from the last XA/N was a huge crashing sound...  
  
"Oh shit." Akila muttered. Jeff couldn't say anything. Lizzie, Chris, JB, Shawn, Steph and Kurt could only remain speechless.  
  
The building behind Vince McMahon, was crumbling to pieces.  
  
Vince seemed to take note of this and punched a button on a remote. Everything around the group became hazy. Skittle was taken from the van and was now standing in the middle of the group. When everyone's vision cleared, it was obvious that they were not in a city anymore.  
  
It was a huge field with a purple sky. The grass was blue. It was like an alternate universe. Which was exactly what Vince insisted it was. Skittle was holding Jeff's hand when Akila looked back down.  
  
"What the f---? What are you doing? He is MY man!!" Akila screamed. Skittle was about to offer an explanation, when Akila tackled her.  
  
"You bitch, you're trying to take him away from me aren't you?" She screamed, laying hard punches into Skittle.  
  
"You're stupid! I'm so over him!" Skittle screamed, kicking Akila off of her. Akila's face became almost purple with rage.  
  
"What did you just say?" She demanded. The other members of the group had suddenly whipped out chairs and were sipping soda with popcorn. Even Vince, who is supposed to be trying to kill us, took a seat.  
  
"Pass the popcorn," Jericho said. Lizzie grabbed a bag and gave it to him absent-mindedly. Jeff was sitting between Lizzie and Kurt. Steph was next to Shawn and JB was on the end next to Vince.  
  
"You heard me!! I've already had my fair share of Jeff!! If I could take him back, I sure as hell would, but, trust me, when he gets tired of you, he's going to drop you like an old habit. I know from experience. Don't get me wrong, he's a great kisser among many other things, but he just won't-" Skittle was cut off by a hard right hand.  
  
"Ouch, that's gonna leave a mark," Shawn said. JB and Steph nodded.  
  
"I've heard enough!!! Let's go!! A one-on-one fight, right here, right now!! And the winner, gets Jeff!!!" Akila shouted.  
  
**  
  
Shawn leaned back against the pillows on his bed. Rebecca was sleeping silently, with her head rested on his chest. He was stroking her hair. He thought of how lucky he was just to be seeing her again. But, he also couldn't shake the feeling of betrayal again. If she had been willing to go that far the first time, what was going to stop her from doing it a second time?  
  
Many thoughts rushed through his head. He thought about what Chris had said after waking from his coma. He said that Randy Orton had raped Cori. Shawn had to be honest with himself, he believed in seeing things in the future, but things that had already passed might be a whole new ball game. Maybe it happened, maybe it didn't. How could Chris be so sure?  
  
Shawn took a deep breath and sighed. He was exhausted. Rebecca had worn him out tonight. He wished he could sleep. But sleep wouldn't come. He was afraid that maybe, just maybe, if he fell asleep, that Rebecca might be gone when he woke back up. Hunter might take her again. But, that of course was impossible. Hunter was dead, thanks to Chris.  
  
Shawn wondered what Chris was doing right now. Shawn let out a little chuckle.  
  
"Probably the same thing that I was doing a little earlier," he said to himself. Shawn shook the thoughts out of his head.  
  
"I'll talk to him tomorrow and see if he can clarify what he said. Maybe he was still kind of unconscious when he said it." Shawn said, slowly slipping into sleep. "Maybe tomorrow...."  
  
**  
  
Sorry it was so short!!! More to come soon, I promise!!! 


	47. Peas in a Pod

Disclaimer: Yup, you guessed it. XA/N! All I own.  
  
A/N: Shout out to my reviewers!! (Maybe I should say, shout out to my peeps?) Hope you enjoy the chapter, as there will be many more to come bwahahahahah!!!  
  
XA/N: Akila and Skittle are gonna get it on!! Not like that, though, you sick people!!!  
  
"Right here, let's go, come on!!!" Akila shouted. Jeff stood up.  
  
"What are you waiting for, biatch?" Skittle yelled back at her.  
  
"Ladies, ladies, you don't need to fight over me" Jeff insisted, trying to avoid the fight.  
  
"The hell we don't!!" Akila shouted. Steph pulled Jeff back down.  
  
"Let them fight, it'll be a classic match!!" She told him. The others nodded and he shrugged.  
  
"Fine." He said.  
  
Akila and Skittle started to punch and kick at each other. Hair was pulled, shirts were torn, and the match continued on. The group started up chants of "Kick her ass" and "Beat her to Hell"  
  
Finally, Vince shook his head and realized what he was doing.  
  
"All right, knock it off!!! I'm supposed to be threatening your lives remember?" He said. The group all looked at him with pouting eyes.  
  
"5 more minutes?" Jericho pleaded. Everyone else contributed with a puppy dog face, even Akila and Skittle.  
  
"Fine, 5 more minutes, but then, I really need to get back to threatening your lives." Vince said, then he returned to his seat. The match continued.  
  
Who will win?  
  
Find out on the next XA/N!!!!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn and Chris were in the gym. Both men were trying to rebuild their bodies and get pumped up for their return. Chris had told Shawn that he still fully intended to question Randy when he got back, and he promised Shawn that he would inflict any immediate pain, unless he was given a reason to.  
  
"So, how have you and Liz been getting along?" Shawn asked, as Chris spotted him bench pressing.  
  
"Fabulously, she's completely awesome. I couldn't ask for anyone better. * Chris said. Shawn managed to nod as his face took on a more reddish tone.  
  
"She seems like a nice girl. I hear more about her than I see her." Shawn said. Chris helped him put the bar back into the holds.  
  
"Are you trying to imply something?" Chris asked him with a smirk on his face. Shawn shrugged.  
  
"Not really, I'm just inviting you two to come over and have dinner with Rebecca and I." Chris looked at Shawn.  
  
"I need invitations now, huh?" Chris asked, acting hurt. Shawn stood up and patted him on the back.  
  
"You don't, but she might like one." He said, reassuring him. Kurt Angle walked by at that moment.  
  
"What smells?" Kurt asked.  
  
"Him!" Shawn and Chris said at the same time. Kurt shook his head as the two wrestled around the equipment a little bit. He couldn't help but wonder why they hadn't become friends earlier.  
  
"Just the luck of fate, I guess." Kurt muttered to himself as he watched the two head for the showers throwing punches and insults at each other.  
  
"Jackass!" Chris screamed.  
  
"Kitten!!!" Shawn hollered back.  
  
"Lonely, Lying, Loser!!" Chris shouted. "Triple word bonus for Y2J!! Oh yeah, baby!!"  
  
Kurt shook his head and sat down.  
  
"They're peas in a pod." Kurt chuckled to himself.  
  
**  
  
Sorry for shortness again!! Long chapters will come, I promise!! Please Review!! 


	48. Talking to God and Breaking a Heart

Disclaimer: XA/N is mine.  
  
A/N: Go me!! Everything is A-OK now, and I will be able to update more regularly. Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story and took the time to read all of it. On to the story and XA/N!!!!!!  
  
XA/N: Akila and Skittle were still fighting.  
  
Akila ran over to a ring that had just appeared out of nowhere and pulled a chair out from under it. She held it up, right as Skittle dropkicked her in the face. Skittle reached under the ring and brought out a huge ladder. She set it up and started climbing. Akila was waiting at the bottom.  
  
**1 Hour Later**  
  
Skillte finally reached the top of the ladder. She did the guns sign and flipped off of the top. Akila rolled out of the way. Both then started to stand up and began to trade punches once more.  
  
"Dammit!!! Knock it off!! Who the hell do you two think you are?" Vince shouted. "You all need to be killed now!!! I'm tired of waiting around!!!" He jumped up out of his chair, as did everyone else. All of the group joined together in a little huddle.  
  
"Do you think that he's serious?" Jeff asked as Akila and Skittle joined the circle.  
  
"Duh...lemme think here, Jeff. Uh...naw, he's just joking!" Jericho snapped at him. Lizzie smacked him.  
  
"Be nice, Chris." She told him. Kurt snickered.  
  
"She's got you whipped Chris." Kurt said as Shawn and Jeff laughed. Steph slapped him.  
  
"Shut up, we need a plan." Steph said. The group nodded. No one could come up with anything, though.  
  
"Let's just see what he does, and act on impulse." Shawn suggested. The group shrugged and agreed to go along with that plan. The group separated and and stood in a line in front of Vince.  
  
"Bring it on, old man." JB said. Vince smiled and pushed a button on some sort of remote. He became covered in some sort of Darth Vader looking suit.  
  
"I hope that you all like the heat." Vince said in a Darth Vader voice as he pushed another button. Volcanoes appeared in the not-so-far distance. Lava began to squirt out of the cracks in this strange planet.  
  
"Dammit, we always get stuck in shitty situations like this!!" Chris yelled.  
  
"Yeah, why can't we get one of those cool suits?!" Jeff yelled as lava began to slowly surround them. Skittle snapped her fingers.  
  
"The suit, we need a suit like his!!" she yelled.  
  
*  
  
Will we find a Darth Vader suit?  
  
Who won the match?  
  
If we find a Darth Vader suit, will we be able to talk like Darth Vader?  
  
All these questions and more answered on the next XA/N!!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn and Chris sat out in Shawn's back yard, trying to digest the excellent meal that Rebecca had just fixed for them. Liz and Rebecca were inside the house, talking about what they call "girl stuff" while trying to do the dishes.  
  
"Chris, have you talked to Randy yet?" Shawn asked him. Chris didn't make any response. He traced a line with his finger around the top of the beer can. "Chris, are you sure that any of that really even happened? What if your mind just made it up? I know that you haven't let go of Cori yet, but man, you need to do something. You're making yourself miserable." Chris sighed.  
  
"After I do this, I might be able to let her go." Chris said. "But until then....." he trailed off.  
  
"Then what?" Shawn asked, noticing the faraway look in Chris' eyes, hoping to get an answer from him.  
  
"Until then, she comes to me in my sleep and sometimes, I think that I hear her on the street or in my room. I'll pass a playground and think that I see her when she was 5 years old. It's like she's telling me that I have to do this. It's also like she's haunting me." Chris said. Shawn looked away from his friend. He knew that feeling, but he didn't think that he could possibly try to talk Chris out of his way of thinking.  
  
Shawn took another sip of beer and thought about how Chris had told him all of this in the hospital. How he had seemed so full of rage at Randy. And his constant sorrow an guilt of not being able to save his daughter. Shawn knew that image must haunt Chris more than anything.  
  
God knew that it still haunted him from time to time.  
  
Shawn wouldn't be surprised if that image still haunted everyone that had been in that arena that night. He took another sip of beer.  
  
He could still see the shock written eternally on her face. He could still see the bruises on her skin.  
  
He could still see the bullet hole in her forehead with blood rolling out.  
  
He blinked away the image from his mind and glanced back over at Chris, who was wiping at his face. Apparently, he had been thinking about the same thing.  
  
"I'm not gay, Shawn." Chris said all of a sudden. Shawn nearly choked on his beer.  
  
"What? I know that. What brought that on?" Shawn asked him, not really sure if he wanted to know the answered. Chris gave Shawn his trademark smirk.  
  
"You called me honey on RAW the other night. I'm just telling you that I'm not gay." Chris said. "Now, you on the other hand, I'm not sure about, but I'm definitely not gay." Shawn chuckled.  
  
"Shut up Irvine, or challenge me to a fight." Shawn dared him, standing up.  
  
Chris hopped up out of the lawn chair and tackled Shawn to the ground. Both men began to struggle around and punch each other. Both men were also laughing uncontrollably in the process. More so because they were drunk than because it was actually funny.  
  
Liz and Rebecca watched with amusement from the kitchen window as the two men fought each other on the ground outside.  
  
"Do you ever get tired of Shawn and Chris fighting over here all the time?" Liz asked while drying one of the last dishes.  
  
"Oh, occasionally, but seeing the huge smiles on their faces when they come back in, tells me that it's worth it and that it helps take Chris' mind off of poor Cori." Rebecca said, handing her another dish.  
  
Liz nodded and wished that she could do that very thing to Chris. Take his mind off of Cori. She had tried in various ways, God how she had tried. Nothing seemed to be working. Only visiting Shawn seemed to do the trick. She wished that she could somehow grab his attention and take his mind off of Cori's death. But so far, no go. She thought about asking Rebecca for advice, then later made up her mind that she would ask Shawn about what they do.  
  
Shawn and Chris stumbled inside the house then. Mud on their faces, and their shirts torn, they closed the door behind them and sat down with huge grins on their faces.  
  
While Chris was cleaning up in the bathroom and Rebecca was upstairs, Liz walked over to Shawn, and sat next to him.  
  
"Shawn, how do you get Chris to get his mind off of Cori all of the time?" Liz blurted out. "I mean, seriously, how do you do it? I've tried so many times and nothing seems to work but you can get him to take his mind off of anything." She finished. Shawn looked over at her. He felt the sudden urge to grab this girl and kiss her senseless, but pushed it down again. It wouldn't be right.  
  
"We just talk about stuff, I guess it's a guy thing." Shawn shrugged, trying desperately to look at something else in the room. His wife was upstairs and his best friend was in the bathroom. He'd had this problem at dinner as well, but at least there had been the distraction of food. Now there was nothing to turn to, and he was weakening by the second.  
  
"Damn. It figures. A guy thing." Liz muttered under her breath. She noticed that Shawn was staring at her quite intently. She was beginning to noticed how handsome he was in this light. The way that his hair framed his face perfectly. She'd stared at him all through dinner and had noticed him staring at her a few times. She needed to look away. She HAD to look away.  
  
But, she found that she couldn't look away to save her life.  
  
She began to pray for a distraction, anything to get her to look away from him. Anything to get her mind off of the thoughts that were running through her head. She was dating Chris. She loved Chris. She needed Chris. But, with God as her witness...she wanted Shawn.  
  
Before Shawn knew what he was doing, or was able to even think about it, he was kissing her. He was kissing another woman in his house with his wife upstairs, perfectly able to come down the stairs at any given moment, and his best friend in the bathroom, who could also come out at any given moment. Not to mention that it was his best friend's girlfriend whom he was kissing. He somehow didn't feel guilty.  
  
Liz couldn't remember what was happening. Shawn was kissing her senseless. They were no longer sitting on the couch, they were laying on it, with him on top of her. She knew this was wrong, she knew it with all of her heart, but she couldn't tell herself that it was. She felt so good here with Shawn, the thought was shoved away violently.  
  
Shawn finally came back to his senses and the guilt kicked it. He recoiled fiercely and jumped off of her, as if he was burnt. His hands were shaking. He ran a hand through his hair and tried to regain control of himself. Liz began to sit up.  
  
"What the hell are we doing? We can't do this!! My wife's upstairs putting my son to bed for God's sake!!! My best friend is in the bathroom, and you're his girlfriend. If they caught us like this..." he didn't finish. Liz was walking towards him.  
  
"Just kiss me again. I don't care what Chris thinks. If your wife comes down, say that I came onto you, which, I believe that I am right now. One little kiss, that's all I want." Liz told him, not even sure of her own voice. Shawn sighed and lost control. He bent down and kissed her again.  
  
"Cameron, please go to sleep now, I've read you 5 bedtime stories now, it's time to go to sleep." Rebecca pleaded with her son as he sat, wide awake on the bed.  
  
"One more story, please momma?" He asked. Rebecca was about to respond when someone yelled something downstairs.  
  
"I'll be right back, sweetie." Rebecca said, then headed for the stairs. The stairs overlooked the living room, which was where all of the commotion was happening.  
  
"What the hell is this?" Chris screamed again. Tears began to form in his eyes. "I walk out of the bathroom to find my friend, my freaking best friend shoving his tongue down the throat of my girlfriend!!! And his wife is right upstairs!!" Chris yelled, shoving Shawn. Rage was beginning to consume him. Shawn bit his lip, then was about to explain everything, knowing that it wouldn't help. Nothing would help now.  
  
"Is this true Shawn?" Rebecca asked from the stairs. Shawn swallowed and nodded; he had no voice left to do anything. He was ashamed, and that was the understatement of the year. Chris clenched his hands into fists so tight that his knuckles turned white. He took a deep breath and struggled to keep his temper in check. He pointed his finger at Shawn.  
  
"Stay the hell away from me." Chris said. Liz began to step towards him when he looked at her. "You stay the hell away from me too, I hope that you two make each other happy." Chris said, then he turned to walk away.  
  
"Chris," Shawn started.  
  
"No, shut the hell up and stay away from me." Chris said storming out the front door, and slamming it so hard a picture fell off of the wall and broke.  
  
It was a picture of he, Shawn and Cori, the last time that she had been alive.  
  
Chris collapsed on the sidewalk after slamming the door. Tears began to roll down his face. He punched the concrete below him and let out a strangled cry.  
  
"Why God," he screamed. "Why? Why did you give me everything and then take it away again? What the fu-hell did I do to you? Huh? Answer me you bastard!!!" He put his head in his hands and wept. He slowly stood up and got in his car. As he put the car in drive, he prayed that God just kill him on his way home so that he wouldn't have to face the pain and emptiness that would be there tomorrow.  
  
Shawn and Liz stood in the living room. Rebecca was still standing on the stairs. All three of them had heard Chris' cry. It was loud enough for someone in Spain to hear him. Rebecca turned around and left them to stand there in the living room. Shawn stared at his feet and knew that he was going to be sleeping on the couch for a while.  
  
"Come on, I'll drive you home." He told her. Liz followed him out, her head hanging as low as his.  
  
**  
  
Review please!! And Lizzie, don't worry, I'm not going to let you fade out. You might even get back with Chris...who knows??? 


	49. Cure My Tragedy

Disclaimer: I don't anyone (or anything) but XA/N!!  
  
A/N: Glad to hear that you guys liked that last chapter a lot!! 11 more reviews until we hit the big 200!!!!!!!! Do you think that we can make it? You guys are all so awesome!! I love each and every one of you. I would mention all of you and how much I love each person, but that would take entirely too long. So, basically, thank you to each and every person who has reviewed this story and helped to keep the idea alive in my mind!! Thanks a million!!! BTW, in XA/N, you will have noticed that Rockie and Kazza are gone. They haven't reviewed in a while, so they don't really need to be in there. Which means that I have 2 free guys as of right now, if they come back, they will regain their spots. The Rock and Edge are currently up for grabs, if anyone wants them. BTW, if any other reviewer would like to be included in XA/N, let me know what name you want to go by and which guy you like the most. It can be any wrestler in the WWE. All right, I had to get that out, now on to the story!!  
  
XA/N: We need Darth Vader suits and lava is squirting out of the ground....our lives all suck major butt, don't they? OK....  
  
Vince is standing there laughing at all of us as the temperature of the world around us grows steadily higher and higher.  
  
"Damn it!! I **know** that there is a way to get one of those things, but I just can't remember!!" Skittle screamed. Akila walked over and punched Skittle in the face.  
  
"Well, you had best start remembering soon, or-" Akila yelled.  
  
"Or what? You'll beat the snot out of me? Wow...I am soooooo scared!!!" Skittle sneered. Jeff began to take small steps backwards.  
  
"Guys, guys, knock it off, I think that JB might have something cooked up that could work!!" Lizzie shouted. Akila and Skittle looked over at JB, who was trying desperately to shove a huge pile of wires back into a small box. Shawn was wrapped up in wires, trying to separate all of them out color wise. Jericho was trying desperately to shove the wires down in the box farther.  
  
"Oh, screw this!" JB yelled. She picked up the box and hurled it into the nearest lava pool. "I'll just do this....." She said, then produced another black box identical to the one she just threw into the lava, and also identical to Vince's remote thingy.  
  
"Anyone up for a Darth Vader suit?" she asked. Shawn was staring at her very intently.  
  
"You could've done that the entire time, but you chose to tie me up in wires and try to fix the broken one?" he asked incredulously. She nodded innocently as Jericho began to laugh uncontrollably. Everyone quickly suited up in a Darth Vader suit and walked over to Vince.  
  
"Let's play, biatch!!" Kurt yelled from behind. The whole group turned to face him.  
  
"Biatch?"  
  
"What? You thought it was funny-"  
  
"Never mind." They turned back to Vince. "Time to fight, old geezer." Jericho said.  
  
*  
  
What is going to happen next?  
  
What exactly were we fighting Vince over in the first place?  
  
.......  
  
Err...Uh....Tune in next time for the next installment of XA/N!!!  
  
**  
  
//Remember all the times that we used to play,  
  
You were lost and I would save you//  
  
Chris gripped his hands on the steering wheel. His newest CD was blaring through the speakers in his car, but he barely noticed them. He was determined to do the thing that he had been allowed to live to finish.  
  
//I don't think those feeling will ever fade,  
  
You born a part of me //  
  
He was going to avenge a part of Cori's death that he had not completed the first time around.  
  
//Won't you cure my tragedy,  
  
Won't you cure my tragedy//  
  
Shawn thought that he had not acted on anything yet, but Chris had done his homework about Randy Orton. He knew almost everything about the young man. Where he lived, his home phone number, his cell phone number, etc. Chris no longer cared what happened to him after he did what he was going to do. His girlfriend would most likely be taken care of......by his best friend. His hands gripped the wheel only tighter.  
  
//Don't take her smile away from me,  
  
She's broken and I'm far away//  
  
He didn't even need to interrogate Randy, he'd heard from several of the guys in the back that he had been seen around with Cori before she was killed. They were supposed to have been dating.  
  
//Won't you cure my tragedy,  
  
Won't you cure my tragedy //  
  
His "vision" in his coma, had failed to relate that small detail.  
  
//Then I hope that you can hear me scream,  
  
Won't you cure my tragedy //  
  
He had also heard that Randy had gotten Cori's permission before sleeping with her. Rage began to bubble up at the thought of this. Tears began to obscure his vision. And, once again, it began to happen all over in his mind.  
  
//When I sit and think of the days we shared,  
  
And the nights you covered before me//  
  
He began to see Cori as a little girl, holding a baseball bat, demanding to be taught how to play. How cute she had looked when she would ask to see pictures of her mother. How her face had filled with worry when he began to cry over the pictures. She would gently brush his tears away and assure him that they would make it through their hardships.  
  
//Every little thing that I ever did,  
  
You would stand by me //  
  
He couldn't help but realize that she had been right all along.  
  
//Every time you would cry it would take my wind,  
  
My heart would break //  
  
He didn't need to do this. Tears streaming down his cheeks, he pulled his vehicle over to the side of the road. He had lied to himself. He had lied to Shawn. He had thought that by doing this, he might be able to make everything ok. He would be out of the way, and everything could be okay again.  
  
//If I could be strong like you were for me,  
  
You are my faith //  
  
He had finally realized that he was being selfish. He was trying to rid himself of the pain and the guilt that he had felt. What about the pain that Randy was feeling, if he was, indeed her boyfriend? What about Shawn? Chris winced. He was angry with Shawn for what he had done, sure, but could he **really** blame him, or Liz for that matter, for what had taken place? Could he honestly say that he would have been able to resist Liz when she had walked and talked like that? He did not feel guilty that he had watched the whole thing from the beginning. He knew that Liz had not walked in there intentionally wanting to do that. He had known that Shawn felt the same way.  
  
//Won't you cure my tragedy,  
  
Won't you cure my tragedy //  
  
He knew because he had set them up.  
  
//Don't take her smile away from me,  
  
She's broken and I'm far away //  
  
He had needed the motive. Now, as he sat sobbing in his car, he realized how childish he was being and had been. He had an awesome life, but all he wanted was to kill himself, **just** to see his daughter's face once again. All he wanted was to feel Cori's hand brush those tears away one last time.  
  
//If you made the world a stage for me,  
  
Then I hope that you could hear me scream //  
  
He never got to say goodbye.  
  
//Can you hear me scream,  
  
Can you hear me scream //  
  
Chris stopped crying and contemplated what he was going to do next. He knew what he had come to this pier to do, but he also knew what would take the stronger man to do. Driving his car off the pier was the cowardly thing to do. He knew that going back and telling everyone everything was going to be hard- hell, almost impossible-but then again, he had gotten himself in this predicament by himself, now, hadn't he?  
  
//Won't you cure my tragedy,  
  
Won't you cure my tragedy //  
  
Chris moved his hand to shift the car in reverse, when a sudden jolt from behind sent his car lurching forwards. Chris whirled around and looked out the back window.  
  
//Don't take her smile away from me,  
  
She's broken and I'm far away//  
  
The one member of Evolution that he hadn't gotten around to disposing of yet, that had nothing to do with the web of confusion that is Chris' life, Dave Batista, was ramming Chris' car off the pier.  
  
// Won't you cure my tragedy,  
  
Won't you cure my tragedy //  
  
Chris turned back around and tried to work his way against Batista's attempts, but his car was going to go into the water, no matter what. He began to fumble with the door, when he remembered the automatic locks.  
  
// If you made the world a stage for me,  
  
Then I hope that you could hear me scream //  
  
Chris was distracted away from escaping the car when it did a flip into the water.  
  
// I can't take this anymore//  
  
His head cracked against the windshield, scattering his thoughts. Water was pouring in around him at an alarming rate. The back part of the car was still afloat. As the water neared his chest, Chris began to hack away at the window with his elbow. After his fifth try, and water was nearing his neck, the window shattered, letting more water flood in. Chris tried to swim up through the window, when he realized with horror that his seat belt was still on. Water was up to his chin and closing in fast at this point. He fumbled with the seat belt desperately. He came to a shocking conclusion that there are such things as death wishes and actually wanting to die. Chris took out a huge of air and was fully submerged. The car was slowly starting to sink. His lungs began to want air, they felt like they were being crushed, as if someone was sitting on him. He winced horribly, and sacrificed a lot of air. Air, that he wasn't going to get back.  
  
// I can't take this anymore//  
  
The car began to sink at a faster rate, and Chris knew somehow that the back of the car had finally gone under. The belt finally released him, but at this point he was beginning to lose consciousness. His world was getting smaller. He managed to make it out of the car, when fear seized him. He needed air, but he took in a huge gulp of water. He swam towards the surface the best that he could, but eventually, he lost his grip on life, and stopped swimming. His body landed on a piece of the car that was floating up, and it took him up with it.  
  
//Won't you take and give her pain to me //  
  
The lifeless body of Chris Irvine surfaced, but no one was in sight. An eerie white light surrounded him. His daughter's spirit was sitting on the driftwood with him, stroking his face. She was whispering to him, but he could not hear her.  
  
//Cause my whole life I've made mistakes //  
  
"It's not your time, Daddy. Someone will find you. It's not your time...."  
  
**  
  
Reviews? Song is "Cure My Tragedy (A Letter to God)" by Cold on their new album, Year of the Spider. 


	50. A Shocking Development

Disclaimer: only own XA/N  
  
A/N: 7 more review until 200!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! Ok, First off, I am not PURPOSELY trying to kill Chris. He just gets the shit end of the deal a lot of the time. Well, onward!!  
  
XA/N: We got the suits and we talk like DV, but now what?  
  
"You all are so pathetic!!" Vince yelled. Chris mocked him.  
  
"You an old balding bastard, so what?"  
  
"Oh.....am I really balding?" Vince asked him. Chris rolled his eyes.  
  
"No." Lizzie stepped in with some sort of light saber thingy majig.  
  
"Time to die, Vince." She shouted, Akila, Skittle, Steph, and JB all took off after her, and they began to beat him up. Shawn, Chris, Jeff, and Kurt all stood there and watched as the girls beat the hell out of Vince.  
  
"Are we missing something?" Shawn asked. Chris shook his head.  
  
"Nah." The guys all broke out lawn chairs and began to sit and watch the girl beat the crap out of Vince.  
  
*  
  
What will happen next?  
  
Sorry its so short, I'm in a hurry!!  
  
See ya on the next XA/N!!! **  
  
Shawn drove Liz back to her house. The car traveled in silence the whole way there. Neither knew what to say. They both knew that they had committed an unspeakable act.  
  
There was no going back on that.  
  
Shawn wondered what Chris was doing at this point of the night. He hoped that he didn't hate him too bad.  
  
But, he knew that Chris might never speak to him again.  
  
Shawn walked Liz to her door and was going to tell her something as she walked inside the house, when his phone rang. She stood in the doorway for a moment, thinking that for some reason, it might be Chris.  
  
"Hello?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Shawn?"  
  
"Rebecca?" Shawn asked. She was crying.  
  
"Shawn, where are you?" She asked him.  
  
"I gave Liz a ride home, since Chris went home already."  
  
"C-can you come to San Antonio Medical Center?" she stuttered. Shawn blinked.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I-It's Chris, Shawn. He's...He's...."  
  
"Never mind, we'll be there in 10 minutes." Shawn told his sobbing wife. Liz looked up at him.  
  
"What is it?" she asked him, seeing the concern and horrible guilt in his eyes. He locked his eyes with hers.  
  
"Chris is in the hospital," he told her.  
  
"Oh God," she said, feeling weak in her knees. Shawn felt sick to his stomach. He wondered if Chris had tried to commit suicide. If he had, then he was most definitely the main reason for it. He felt horrible.  
  
"Come on, let's go." Liz locked her apartment again and followed him wordlessly to the car.  
  
*  
  
"Shawn!!" Rebecca yelled when she caught sight of her husband. She hugged him tightly when he got over to her. He hugged her just as tight.  
  
"Rebecca, I'm so sorry, I didn't....I....I'm so sorry.....will you.....can you ever forgive me?" he asked her. They broke apart. She nodded her head.  
  
"Yes, I forgive you." Liz had stood awkwardly, watching the whole scene unfold.  
  
"Where's Chris?" Shawn asked. Rebecca wiped away a tear.  
  
"Follow me." She said. Shawn followed his wife wordlessly down the hall, and Liz followed him a distance behind. They finally came to his room, and Rebecca stopped.  
  
"Shawn, there's something you need to know before you go in there." She told him gently. Shawn looked at her with fearful eyes, what the hell had happened now?  
  
"He was found floating in the harbor, on a piece of a car, which is most likely his. A Coast Guard cutter found him seconds after he surfaced, but they misjudged distance and the boat struck him in the head. They quickly pulled him into the boat and revived him-"  
  
"Revived him?" Shawn asked, cutting Rebecca off.  
  
"He had suffocated underwater. Anyways, when they revived him, he had no clue what he was doing there." Shawn stared at his wife.  
  
"He lost his memory?" Shawn asked. Rebecca nodded. Shawn felt his stomach sink. "Let's go inside." He opened the door and saw Chris sitting up in his hospital bed. His normally clear blue eyes were cloudy and unrecognizable.  
  
"Hi, have you come to visit me?" he asked sweetly. Shawn felt like an asshole.  
  
"Uh, yeah, we have. How are you Chris?"  
  
"Wow, my name's Chris?" Chris asked blankly. Shawn had to erase the look of horror on his face. His best friend couldn't remember anything.  
  
"Yes, yes, it is, Chris. My name is Shawn. That's my wife Rebecca and your girlfriend, Liz." Shawn pointed them all out. Recognition flashed in Chris' eyes, but it was soon gone.  
  
"Wow." Shawn sat down and resisted the urge not to cry. He hoped that Chris would regain his memory soon.  
  
If he regained it at all.  
  
**  
  
Reviews? Please? 


	51. Whatever You Became

Disclaimer: Only XA/N is mine, nothing else.  
  
A/N: Sooooooo close!! Yet, so far away. 5 more reviews, my reviewers!!!!! Help me out!!! By the way, if you guys like my story, pleeeeeease do me a huge favor and check out Lizzie Borden's newest one called The Sweetest Sin. I'm in it!!! (Well, kinda) Anyhow, if you're a Jericho or HBK fan, definitely check it out!!!! Review it a couple hundred times for her too!!  
  
XA/N: OK, girl power!!! We were kicking Vince's butt!!!  
  
"Take that you old prune!!!" Akila yelled, while strangling Vince.  
  
"Bombs away!!" Skittle yelled before doing a swanton bomb off the top of a ladder. JB did a People's elbow on him and the guys were all laughing their heads off at the sight. Lizzie began to put him in the Walls of Jericho and Vince tapped out.  
  
"That's my girl!!" Chris yelled. Shawn elbowed him with a serious look on his face.  
  
"You hear that?"  
  
"What?" Chris asked suddenly concerned.  
  
"That!!" Shawn said smacking Chris in the back of the head.  
  
"Ow, that's not nice...."  
  
"Cry about it." Shawn said.  
  
"I will." They both went back to watching the girls. Jeff had gotten up to stretch out the suit.  
  
"Woo hoo!!! Eat that, Vince McMahon!!!" They said, tossing him into the lava pit. He wouldn't be affected because of the suit, but it was still fun!!  
  
The ground began to shake slightly.  
  
"Uh oh." Skittle said, as she saw what was making the noise, the rest of the group saw it and groaned.  
  
"Great." Chris said.  
  
*  
  
TO BE CONTINUED......  
  
**  
  
//Whatever you became, Blame it on my fame//  
  
A week later, the hospital decided that there was nothing more they could do for Chris. Rebecca talked Shawn into letting him stay at their house again. Shawn would've readily agreed, but he knew that somehow, with Chris like he was, he was going to get asked about things, like the kiss, and Shawn didn't really want to tell him and betray his trust again.  
  
//Always away from you, Sold my life for a song//  
  
Chris usually spent his days roaming around the house and looking at the many pictures that had him in them. None of them meant anything to him now. He always spent the most time looking at a picture frame that had a huge crack through the glass. The one of Shawn, Cori and himself. He tried to remember what his daughter had been like. He tried to remember everything that he had once known.  
  
//Whatever you killed, The blood got on my face//  
  
Shawn would often watch Chris as he made his way around the living room, staring at things that had once been precious to him. It pained him to see the blank expression on his face all the time.  
  
//See, it took over you, And your mind's nearly gone//  
  
Shawn knew that he needed to tell Chris what had happened. He knew that Chris must be wondering what had happened the night he lost his memory. Hell, he must be wondering about everything that had happened before he lost his memory. It was odd, Chris could remember what the WWE was, and he could remember what the capitol of Canada was, but he could remember nothing of his own life. It was like someone had erased it from his mind.  
  
//And I can't change my ways, Sorry it's my fault//  
  
Chris sat on the couch and stared at the picture again. Shawn decided that it was time to tell him something. It might help him remember. Besides, how could he honestly call himself Chris' friend if he didn't admit to that? Shawn sighed and walked over to Chris.  
  
//I wasn't there to see, Whatever you became//  
  
"Chris, I need to tell you something," Shawn started. Chris turned his attention from the picture in his lap, to Shawn. Shawn took a breath. This was going to be difficult.  
  
//Whatever you became//  
  
"The night that you lost your memory......well.....you and I had gotten into a fight." Shawn said. Chris' face held no emotion, it was totally blank, simply outlined with curiosity. "You see, you had walked out of the bathroom over there and in here, to see....well..to see....Liz and I kissing. Neither one of us had meant it to anything, it was like a spur of the moment type of thing. You got angry and stormed out of the house. After that-" Shawn looked back over at Chris to see that his hands were on either side of his head and his eyes were squinted in pain.  
  
//Whatever you became, You blame it on blind faith//  
  
"Chris?" Shawn asked him. Chris made no response, but his mouth was open, as if he wanted to scream, but no voice came out. Shawn began to get worried. "Chris?"  
  
//Can't turn away from you, What's my life, if you're gone?//  
  
Images were running through Chris' head. Water, all around him....he was in a car, he couldn't get out....he was running out of air...someone had tried to kill him...he didn't want to die.....yet he thought that he had....window breaking.....swimming to the surface.....losing consciousness.....thinking of Cori......then blank again.  
  
//Whatever you feel, I take it on my stage//  
  
Chris removed his hands and looked at Shawn who was concerned, he could tell. The images of him being underwater were still floating in his mind, but nothing else came to him.  
  
//I sing to the world for you, And I'm always alone//  
  
"I-I think that I remembered something....." Chris said shakily. Shawn looked worried. If it caused him to act like that, he supposed that he had remembered what he had just told him. He was proved wrong. "I-I was in a car...." He started out slowly. "And I was trying to get out, it was underwater. I had to break the window. It was getting hard to breathe. My belt broke, and I got out, but when I was swimming to the surface I lost consciousness. That's all that I can remember." Shawn stared at him. So that was what had happened. His car had gone off the pier...but how?  
  
//And I can't change my ways, Sorry, it's my fault//  
  
The pier was nowhere near the interstate, which means that Chris had to have been going that way. Which meant that Chris might have driven off the pier on purpose. Which basically boiled down to one thing.  
  
//I wasn't there to see, Whatever you became//  
  
He had been trying to commit suicide.  
  
//Whatever you became//  
  
Probably because of him.  
  
//I can see it all, You're so far away//  
  
Shawn stood up. He didn't know what he was going to do. He felt so horrible for what he had done. He wished that Chris would get his entire memory back so that he could apologize to him properly.  
  
//I can't take this anymore, I can't live until I see your face//  
  
Chris laid in bed silently and thought. What had he been doing in the water? What had he been doing at the pier? Why would he remember only that? When was his complete memory going to come back, or would it ever? He bit his lip. What had happened to his daughter? What had he done in his life? Was he a murderer? Chris' head began to hurt.  
  
//And I can't change my ways, Sorry it's my fault//  
  
He closed his eyes and imagined the picture with Cori in it. He thought of her hair and her build. "Just like Adriana.." he thought. His eyes snapped open.  
  
//I wasn't there to see, And I can't change my ways//  
  
Who the hell was Adriana? Obviously he had known this person very well, if he'd had a child with her. He was getting frustrated at this. Why could he remember anything? Why had his memory disappeared? He turned to stare out the window.  
  
//Sorry it's my fault, I wasn't there to see//  
  
He decided to get up and walk around again. It couldn't hurt. He climbed out of bed and walked down the hall. He opened the door to Cameron's room and stared in. The little boy was asleep in is race car bed. Chris looked around his room, and found a picture that he had never seen before.  
  
//Whatever you became//  
  
Cameron and a man he had never seen before were playing a game. Shawn was in the background with another man he had never seen. He was nowhere to be found in the picture.  
  
//Whatever you became//  
  
"I bet that you don't remember those two, do you?" Cameron asked, coming up to sit next to Chris on the floor. Chris shook his head. "Well, those were Dad's best friends before they did some bad stuff. Like this guy," Cameron pointed to the man next to Shawn, "He almost killed my mom, and he was the one who killed your daughter." Cameron told him calmly. Chris looked at the little boy. Tears had come to his face. Cameron fished out a photo album and began to flip through it. He had a lot of pictures of Cori in it.  
  
//Something's gone away//  
  
Chris looked back at the picture in his hands again while Cameron was pointing out several things. Something began to surface in Chris' mind. He dropped the picture and put his hands on his head and grimaced. He began to scream.  
  
//You've taken this from me//  
  
Cori in the ring...Adriana.....rage towards Hunter....gunshots....Shawn injured.......huge storm.....Cori dead.....wishing for her......wishing for death.....Liz.....her smile....her laugh.....anger at Shawn....plans, deception.....  
  
//Until I see your face//  
  
His breathing was heavy when he opened his eyes again. Shawn was kneeling in front of him asking him something. Rebecca was standing behind him. Cameron was standing next to Shawn all of them with worried faces. Chris felt the cold sweat all over him. Every muscle ached. He fell back against the wall. Shawn started to slap his face a little bit. Chris swallowed.  
  
//I'm slipping away//  
  
"I'm sorry, Shawn.....sorry.....I-I remember everything....I'm sorry...." Chris muttered as he lost consciousness, leaving a very confused family wondering what had happened. 


	52. Operator, Can You Help Me?

Disclaimer: XA/N is mine.  
  
A/N: Well, the story finally winds to an end. There will be one more chapter after this one. After that......I'm planning on writing a sequel. How does that sound? But, I warn you; I won't start the sequel right away. I'm going to wait until school starts for that one. That way I can get a schedule built up for when I will update, etc. It's been a wild ride, hasn't it? Remember, there is going to be one more chapter after this one, so don't cry yet!!! **sniff sniff** Although I might start to cry. 2 more reviews to 200!!!!!!! WOO!! By the way, anyone who would like me to put their stories up on my site, please let me know.blah, blah, blah. OK, (I'm almost done, I promise) Everyone you need to check out the forever demented Lizzie Borden's story, "The Sweetest Sin". If you like Mary-Sues, check out Jeff's favorite Skittle and devilangelchick's WWE Extreme Fear Factor Mary Sue. KrystalBlaze-Jerikor's story Trapped in the Sky is another great one....ummmmm....Well, that's about it. Onward!!!  
  
XA/N: Something big is making noise....  
  
"Why in the heck do we have to fight a stinking dragon?? Huh??" Jericho yelled. "This ALWAYS happens!!!!!"  
  
"How the hell are we even supposed to fight the dragon??" Jeff asked. Akila and Skittle stared at him.  
  
"With a sword, hello? EVERYONE knows that." Akila told him.  
  
"I didn't know that!!" Jericho yelled. Lizzie slapped on the head.  
  
"Shut UP!!! How are we supposed to figure out what to do if you keep yelling in my ear?!?!" she yelled at him. Shawn rolled his eyes and turned to JB who was tapping the remote thingy.  
  
"What's wrong?" he asked her.  
  
"The damn batteries are dying!!" she shouted at him.  
  
"Whoa, chill out, I was just-Hey wait a minute, why don't you just make another one appear like you did a while ago?"  
  
"I can't." JB said. Everyone began to stare at her.  
  
"Sure you can." Shawn said.  
  
"No, I've exceeded the time limit of being in this world. If we don't get the remote to work soon, we're going to be stuck here. For good."  
  
*  
  
What will happen next???  
  
Find out on the final chapter of XA/N!!!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn sat in the chair next to the couch as he waited for Chris to wake up. He'd called Liz, but had gotten no answer. He couldn't help but puzzle over what Chris had said before passing out. 'I'm sorry, Shawn.....sorry.....I-I remember everything....I'm sorry...' He could make no sense out of it. What was HE sorry for? HE hadn't kissed Liz while Rebecca had been upstairs. HE hadn't betrayed trust.  
  
The question inevitably was, what HAD he done?  
  
Shawn settled back into the chair and closed his eyes. Maybe if he took a little nap, he would feel better......  
  
*  
  
When Shawn woke back up, Chris was sitting up on the couch, sipping some coffee, which meant that Rebecca had been up. Shawn sat up.  
  
"How're you doing?" Shawn asked him. Chris looked at him for a second.  
  
"Not too bad, what about you?" Shawn nodded.  
  
"Same." He looked at Chris and was about to ask him about what he had said when Chris began to talk.  
  
"I know what you're going to ask, and I'm going to explain it now. Shawn, I know you think that I am still mad at you for kissing Liz. The truth..." Chris trailed off for a second. "The truth is that I was never mad to begin with. I had planned that out. I knew that Liz had a crush on you. I used you both, and I'm sorry." He stopped again and looked at Shawn. He looked confused. "I know you're wondering how I used you because I seemed so upset, well, I'm not a bad actor, am I? The reason I wanted you two to do that was so that I could have a motive..." Chris found it hard to talk at this point. "A motive for suicide. I was so tired of everything, I was tired of not being able to hold my little girl anymore. So, I was going to kill myself in the hopes that I could see her again."  
  
"I got to the edge of the pier, when I thought about it and I realized something. I was being selfish. I was going to end the pain for myself. What I hadn't thought of was the pain that YOU had suffered. You had suffered too, but I had failed to realize it. I just wanted the easy way out for myself, and I hadn't stopped to think about you guys until then."  
  
"I was getting ready to come back here and explain myself and just deal with it, when something hit my car." Something dark flashed in Chris' eyes, "Batista was ramming me into the water. He succeeded obviously. It was that moment I learned the difference between death wishes and really truly wanting to die." Chris stopped. He seemed to have told his tale. Shawn took a breath. He knew that must have taken guts to spill. But then again, when it came to guts, Chris had plenty, it was his brain you had to keep an eye on.  
  
"So, you're telling me that you no longer have a death wish, and that YOU set ME up?" Shawn asked him. Chris nodded his head. Shawn nodded as well. "Fine, but we need to get a hold of Liz and let her know all of this."  
  
"Yeah, telling to you was tough, but telling it to her will be harder." Chris admitted. He followed Shawn into the kitchen to talk to Liz on speaker phone. Chris dialed the number and waited. It rang....and rang...and rang.....Her answering machine picked up.  
  
"Howdy boys!!!!!" Batista's voice blared over the speaker. Chris felt his blood boil. Shawn lowered his head.  
  
"Shit." He muttered.  
  
"Bet that you're calling for Liz, aren't ya Chris?? Well, she and I are going for a little ride, so if you want to see her again, pay close attention." Chris' face was turning purple with rage. "Come to the arena tonight and meet me in the ring. I'll tell you what to do from there, until then, DO NOT tell anyone about this, got me Irvine?? Adios suckers!!" The message ended. Chris could no longer control his anger. He ripped the phone off of the wall and smashed it on the floor. Shawn watched him do it, then stared at him. Chris was breathing heavily.  
  
"Sorry, I know I still have to pay you for the other phone I smashed." Shawn put a hand on his arm.  
  
"Chris, the phone is your friend, do not hurt it!" He yelled at him before hitting him in the head.  
  
"Ow!!! Man, I am going to kill him...."  
  
"Easy tiger, let's just get a plan ironed out, ok?"  
  
"Fine." Chris said, but he was extremely worried about this. He had already lost his daughter, he didn't-no he couldn't- lose Liz too.  
  
Only time would tell.  
  
**  
  
REVIEWS?????????? PWEASE?!?!?!??!!??! 


	53. Don't Belong

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: All right, all right. I have taken my decision under advisement for the weekend, and I have one thing to say. NEXT TO NOTHING WILL LIVE ON!!!!!!!!! I can't help it. If I would stop this one and start a sequel, it just wouldn't be the same. I love this story too much, I just can't stop it yet. Let the good times roll!!!!!!!! Welcome back, Steph, It's good to see you reviewing again!! There is no end in sight for this story, unless I run out of ideas or just get sick of it, which might be kinda hard.  
  
XA/N: Soooo, this ends up NOT being the final chapter of XA/N...  
  
"What do you mean, exceeded the time limit?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"Exactly what I said, if we don't get this thing to work soon, we're never going home." JB told the group. Chris looked around at everyone.  
  
"Well, you heard her...let's get working on this stupid thing, guys!" He said, taking the cover off of the remote. Kurt, Jeff and Shawn were all huddled around him. Steph and Skittle stared at each other.  
  
"With them working on it, we'll never get home." Steph said. Skittle nodded. Akila stepped in.  
  
"I have enough faith in them to get us home!!" She yelled. She was reaching the end of her rope. Everything and everyone was beginning to tick her off. She wanted to scream her head off. Lizzie patted her on the back.  
  
"We'll get out of here. Sooner or later." She said, trying to reassure her.  
  
"It had better be sooner rather than later. Because our time is running short." JB told them.  
  
**  
  
What will happen next??  
  
Find out on the extended XA/N (not that it is much different than regular XA/N, more of less just a funky name for it...)  
  
**  
  
//My mind takes you to where you need to be //  
  
Chris walked into the arena, and heard the screaming fans in the ring area. Shawn was right behind him. They both knew that the production people were going to have a field day with this.  
  
//Cure for your heartbreak to take away the pain //  
  
Shawn followed Chris silently into the locker room where they both suited up. Chris began to tape his wrists. Shawn began to stretch out his back. He somehow knew that they weren't going to be fighting, but it would be something very close to it.  
  
//I could describe each mistake for you //  
  
Chris and Shawn both weren't looking forward to this. Chris felt the rage surging through his body, and he knew that this was going to be a gruesome battle. He was going to get his girl back. He was going to set things right and everything was going to go back to normal. Everything was going to be perfect and his life would go back to normal.  
  
//Tattoo it on my tainted heart//  
  
Both men silently prayed to God for his help and strength before walking out there. The crowd was a little surprised, as was the whole crew. Everyone was wondering why Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels were walking down to the ring together. Chris entered the ring, without much taunting, as did Shawn. Chris grabbed a mic.  
  
//Well I won't ever tell the world//  
  
"All right Batista, we're here!!! Now show your ugly face, and we'll get this over with!!!" Chris said, editing himself, because he realized that he was still on TV.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
"How sweet, Jericho. It seems that you have regained your memory. Such a pity. You should've just drowned in that water like you had intended to do in the first place." Batista's voice floated throughout the arena, but no one could find him. "You should've just taken the easy way out. After all, you always were a chicken before Hunter and the gang toughened you up." Chris kept his jaw locked. He was looking all around the arena, trying to find him. There was nothing on the titantron but himself and Shawn, looking around.  
  
//Please don't ever tell the world//  
  
But....was there something on top of the titantron? Something or someone standing on top of the titantron?  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
Chris peered closer at the titantron. Someone was definitely up there. Chris turned to Shawn and leaned over so that he was close to his ear.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
"He's on the titantron, don't look too hard." Chris said. He raised the mic to his mouth again. "Why don't you stop being a chicken and show yourself, Batista?"  
  
//Can you still feel me or did I slip away//  
  
"Because that would take the fun out of your confusion, Jericho. Hey Shawn, how's Rebecca and Cameron doing at home. You know-" Shawn tuned him out for a moment. His own thoughts began to race.  
  
//A sick man, a monster, broken still today//  
  
"No, it can't be...Can't be." He thought. He grabbed the mic from Chris and began to yell.  
  
//I can't explain what happens to me//  
  
"Damn you Hunter!!!! Show your face!!!!" Shawn yelled. Chris stared at him for a moment, horrified. He was confused beyond belief. Chris had seen Hunter die. He had shot him himself. How had he lived?  
  
//Caught in the game I've always starred//  
  
"Shawn, you're too smart for your own good." Hunter said, no longer disguising his voice. Chris' jaw dropped. He began to take off for the titantron without a second thought about it.  
  
//I could describe each mistake for you//  
  
Shawn took off after him. Chris ran to the edge of the stage and ignored the looks on J.R. and the King's faces. He jumped on the ladder that led to the top of the titantron. Kane and Batista really appeared then, and Shawn stopped to try and fight them off. He knew that Chris had a score to settle with Hunter, and he did too, but he would be nice and let Chris have first dibs.  
  
//Tattoo it on my tainted heart//  
  
Chris climbed and climbed. He prayed that he knew what he was doing. He climbed up on the top, and dared to look down. He was 70 feet off of the ground with a 2-foot wide walking space. He looked up and saw Hunter, standing up, and holding Liz by the collar of her shirt. He was dangling her over the stage. The spotlight was on them now.  
  
//well I won't ever tell the world//  
  
Shawn was trying desperately to hold Kane and Batista off, but he was fighting a battle that he couldn't win, and he was getting his ass kicked in the process. Batista slammed him on the stage and Kane began to climb the ladder. Shawn looked above him. He saw Liz's body being held out over the side by Hunter. His stomach fell.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
Chris glared at Hunter and chanced a glance at Liz. She was crying and no doubt shaken up. Chris looked back and forth between the two of them. He thought about it for maybe a second, then took off running at Hunter. Hunter released his grip on Liz. At the last second, Chris dove off to the side, and caught her arm. He held on to the top of the titantron with his other hand. His body was screaming. He wasn't used to hanging like this, and he doubted that he could hang on like that much longer.  
  
//Please don't ever tell the world//  
  
Shawn saw what had happened, and his stomach sank even lower. He couldn't believe this. They needed help. It was three on two, and two were on the titantron with Chris hanging on. Batista pulled him back up. He heard the crowd begin to boo, and he wondered who had come out to help Hunter. He glanced over.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
It was Randy Orton.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
Chris looked up at Hunter. He noticed that Kane had decided to join the party and he wondered what else was going to go wrong. He felt Liz begin to slip out of his grasp. He bit down and tightened the grip on her. He decided that if Hunter would stomp on his hand, and he fell, then he would quickly move Liz on top of him so that he could take the blow. He hoped that something changed before then.  
  
//Well I won't ever change my ways//  
  
Shawn knew that Randy was on their side. He was choking because of Batista, but he pointed up. Randy looked up and saw what was going on. He ran down to the ring , and pulled out the tallest ladder he could find. Batista chokeslammed Shawn off of the stage. Shawn lay there for a moment, and was soon joined by Batista. Randy set up the ladder and began to climb.  
  
//and I can't be strong//  
  
Shawn managed to pull himself back up onto the stage. He weakly held onto the ladder while Randy climbed. He stood on the top step and reached up. He grabbed Liz's ankle, and she screamed. Chris turned his glance from Hunter, down to Liz, and he saw was Randy was trying to do. He smiled in spite of himself, and leaned a little more towards the ground to lower her down. Randy grabbed on to her and took a few quick steps down.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
At the same moment that Randy grabbed Liz, Hunter stomped on Chris hand. He let out a strangled cry. He tried to reach up with his other hand, but it couldn't quite reach. His grip was already faltering. If Hunter slammed his foot down like that again....he was a goner.  
  
//And it's my own shame//  
  
Shawn saw what was happening above him yet again, and winced when Chris let out the cry. He had no strength left to help him. Randy came down and set Liz on the ground. They both looked up and saw Chris struggling to get back up. An idea dawned on Randy. He grabbed Liz's hand and ran down towards the ring  
  
//I can't break your ways//  
  
Chris looked up and saw Hunter glaring at him menacingly. He knew it was over. His time was up. Game over. That's when inspiration hit Chris.  
  
//Well I won't ever tell the world//  
  
Randy grabbed one of the mats that was by the ring and ripped it up off of the floor. He prayed that this would work. Liz grabbed an end and began to help him drag it up to the stage.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
"Ready to die, Chris?" Hunter sneered, Kane said nothing.  
  
//Please don't ever tell the world//  
  
Randy and Liz lined the mat up the best they could with Chris' dangling form.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
"I'm going down if you go with me, Hunter." Chris said. Hunter smiled.  
  
//Well, I won't ever change my ways//  
  
"I doubt that very much, Chris." He said. Chris smiled back at him.  
  
//And I can't be strong//  
  
"Well, I don't." Chris said, summoning his last ounce of strength to jump a little and grab onto one of Hunter's legs. They both went flying off of the titantron before Kane had a chance to stop it.  
  
//Please don't ever tell the world//  
  
Randy realized a little too late that the ladder was too close to the mat, but there was nothing he could do to stop it. The fall that really took about 3 seconds lasted forever in Shawn, Liz, and Randy's eyes.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
Chris realized that there was a mat below him seconds before his head connected with the ladder. His last thought before unconsciousness claimed him was that he might make it out of this alive after all.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
Everyone heard the resounding crack that Chris' head had made when he had smacked the ladder, and the crowd all gasped together. For Hunter, he didn't know the bliss of unconsciousness, he fell on the mat, and his head snapped back against the steel. His head began to bleed immediately, and he was awake for the whole thing. Chris' unconscious body fell at an odd angle from the ladder. He missed the mat completely. Medics were already rushing out to help. JR and King had left their announce booth to come up and check on them. Randy had to hold back a screaming Liz as the medics loaded Chris up on a stretcher. Shawn was trying to stand up, but he couldn't. RAW cut off of the air, and the crowd was horribly silent. Liz's screams were the only sound that filled the arena.  
  
//That I don't belong//  
  
**  
  
REVIEW!!!!! The next chapter will come soon as this is not the end, I have changed my mind!!!!!!!!! (In case you didn't read the A/N) 


	54. The Eye of the Tiger

Disclaimer: You all know I own XA/N, and nothing else.  
  
A/N: Yes, yes, I have returned. Updation is a slow, painful process, but I shall update as much and as often as I can. School is evil and all that jazz. XA/N probably wont be that good, considering my ideas are running a little thin for that again, but oh well. You'll just have to bear with me. BTW, the songs that I have used in the past 3 or so chapters have all been by Cold and off of their new CD. The title of the song is the title of the chapter as well. This chapter the song used is Eye of the Tiger by Survivor. All of you should know it if you've seen any of the Rocky movies....  
  
XA/N: Guys were trying to fix something, and we were all wondering what the hell was going to happen.  
  
"Got it!!" Kurt yelled. Shawn and Chris lifted the remote up as if it was made of gold.  
  
"Well, don't just stand there!! Push the button!!" Akila yelled at the top of her lungs. Jeff pushed the button and the world around them faded to black.  
  
"This didn't happen the first time." Skittle commented. Vince stood up.  
  
"If you screwed this up...." He threatened the guys. JB looked around at the darkness that surrounded them.  
  
"I don't think we're in New York anymore." She said. Shawn let his jaw drop.  
  
"Yes we are!!" We have to be!!" Chris yelled.  
  
"Well, we might be, but I don't think that we are in the same time period as we were before." Lizzie commented, looking down at her clothes, which had morphed into an old dress that people would have worn in the 1800's.  
  
"Oh no..." Akila said as her clothes did the same thing as Lizzie's. Skittle's Steph's and JB's soon followed. But the guys weren't going to get away that easily either. They were soon wearing white wigs like George Washington and buckled shoes. The background came back in and they were all standing in the woods.  
  
"You idiots!!" Lizzie yelled in a harsh whisper. "You transported us back in time!!!" JB was looking around.  
  
"Uh, guys...." she muttered.  
  
"It's our fault, huh? We were simply trying to fix it, but nooooo....." Chris yelled.  
  
"Guys...." JB said a little louder. The other members of the group began to argue louder and louder.  
  
"Guys, shut up!!" JB screamed. Everyone looked at her.  
  
"Why?" JB brushed her hair out of her face, it had become much longer since they had arrived here. She was going to have to learn to pull it up. So would Akila, Skittle, Steph, and Lizzie, though.  
  
"I don't think that we're alone in these woods." She said. Steph's face lit up.  
  
"That's right there could be...." a group of dark skinned people in loincloths jumped out at them before she would finish her sentence.  
  
"Indians." Chris finished for her as spears were pointed in their direction.  
  
**  
  
**6 MONTHS LATER**  
  
//Rising up, back on the street//  
  
Shawn sat on his couch and just thought. His back was nearly fully healed, and he would be able to return to the ring any day. He and Rebecca's relationship was doing awesome, and Cameron was about to start school. His life was going quite great at this point. He simply wanted to relax and enjoy it. After all, he wasn't exactly as young as he used to be.  
  
//Took my time, took my chances//  
  
He was watching the tape from the RAW, which had ended so suddenly. Folks watching at home had no clue what happened and folks in the audience wished they didn't know. It had been a gruesome thing to watch.  
  
//Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet//  
  
Hunter hadn't been seen or heard from since the accident. Rumors had been everywhere on the internet, but then again, you read something that said the sky was pink and some people would believe it.  
  
//Just a man and his will to survive//  
  
Shawn was simply waiting for the time when Hunter would show up again. He knew that it was a matter of time. It always was. When Hunter showed up he would be ready. He would damn sure be ready.  
  
//So many times, it happened too fast//  
  
Shawn hit pause on the remote, and put the video in slow motion. Chris was slowly falling towards the ground. Shawn watched as he grabbed onto Hunter and yanked him down. They both fell and Chris' head smacked the ladder.  
  
//You trade your passion for glory//  
  
"You're watching that again?" Liz's voice sounded from down the hall a little ways. Shawn looked over at Chris who was sitting in the chair. He was staring intently at the screen.  
  
//Don't lose your grip on the dream of the past//  
  
"Okay, hit play again." Chris instructed. The first sound that was audible again was the huge crack sound that had been Chris' head hitting the ladder. "Oh...ouch, that looks painful....let's watch it one more time."  
  
//You must fight just to keep them alive//  
  
"You have done nothing, but watch that scene over and over again since you got injured!" Liz yelled, turning the tape off. Chris scowled and sat back in his wheelchair. "Honey, you know that you won't be able to return for a least another year, why torture yourself like this?" Chris felt like glaring at her, but he didn't. He didn't think that it would take that long for him to be in top shape.  
  
//It the eye of the tiger//  
  
But then again, he was stuck in this god-forsaken wheelchair. His neck had been shattered in the fall, and his back had been all twisted up, but those were the only reasons he had to be in this thing.  
  
//It's the thrill of the fight//  
  
The only reasons....  
  
//Risin up to the challenge of our rival//  
  
Shawn knew that Chris hated to be fussed over or told that he couldn't do something. He himself hated it. He knew what it was like to be in Chris' position. He knew exactly what it was like. He hated that as well.  
  
//And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night//  
  
Chris was having to learn to move his back again, and he had to re-learn how to walk since that chair had him stuck in one spot for the most part. He was slowly making progress though. Shawn had refused to return to wrestling until Chris was ready. They were going to be a tag team when they came back, Shawn had promised him that. Chris hadn't known what to say, so he said nothing at all.  
  
//And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger//  
  
Shawn helped Chris with his physical therapy, and Chris always came over to help baby-sit Cameron when the girls went out to shop or something. Randy was beginning to hang out with them more now, as well. He was becoming just as frequent a visitor as Chris was to the Michaels' household.  
  
//Face to face, out in the heat//  
  
One night after Randy had gone home, and Rebecca and Liz had gone inside the house, Chris and Shawn talked like they used to so long ago.  
  
//Hangin tough, stayin hungry//  
  
"You know, I'm beginning to think of Randy and Cameron like the two sons I never had." Chris said. Shawn nodded.  
  
//They'll stack the odds, still we take to the street//  
  
"I know what you mean about Randy. He seems like a younger version of you." Shawn said and Chris shook his head.  
  
//For the kill with the skill to survive//  
  
"Nah, more like you, I think, which is funny actually, because he not either one of our sons." Chris said. Shawn nodded and took another sip of beer.  
  
//It's the eye of the tiger//  
  
"Excellent point. I have a question for you though, and you're probably going to say it's none of my damn business."  
  
//It's the thrill of the fight//  
  
"You're probably right, but what's the question anyways?" Chris asked him.  
  
//Risin up to the challenge of our rival//  
  
"Why haven't you proposed to Liz?" Shawn asked. Chris sighed. He was silent for a few moments, as if deciding his answer.  
  
//And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night//  
  
"Well, I would like to be able to WALK down the aisle with her, instead of being in this stinking chair, so I've kind of been waiting for that....." Chris trailed off for a moment.  
  
//And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger//  
  
"And well, part of me seems to think that I don't deserve her." Chris said. Shawn shook his head.  
  
//Rising up, straight to the top//  
  
"You deserve her and she deserves you, it's the perfect match." Shawn said.  
  
//Had the guts, got the glory//  
  
Chris remained silent, and the days crawled on. One year came to pass and Chris was up and walking again. He and Shawn began to train in the ring to make their return. They had contacted Vince, and he thought that it was a great idea, them forming a tag team.  
  
//Went the distance, no I'm not gonna stop//  
  
Chris and Liz had spent a lot more time together as well, and he came so close to proposing so many times, he had lost count. He was such a chicken, and so afraid of rejection. He almost knew that she would say yes, but he had that 0.1% chance that she might not, and he was nervous as all hell.  
  
//Just a man and his will to survive//  
  
Each night he prayed to Cori, and each night she gave him no answer to his problems or no comfort to his woes.  
  
//It's the eye of the tiger//  
  
He knew that Liz was going to have to go to Germany for a business trip soon, and he wanted to propose before then, but at the rate that he was going, he would never get that done.  
  
//It's the thrill of the fight//  
  
Now, here he was sitting in a ritzy restaurant, with the ring in his hand under the table. He was staring straight at Liz, but the words wouldn't form. Shawn was watching this spectacle from his and Rebecca's table. A smile crawled to his lips as he thought of a solution.  
  
//Rising up to the challenge of our rival//  
  
He asked the band if they knew the "Eye of the Tiger" song. They said they did, and asked why. Shawn explained the situation, but left out names. The band smiled, and nodded. They all remember what that was like. Shawn couldn't resist a grin when they asked him to sing. He claimed that he couldn't sing worth crap, but the told him to anyways.  
  
//And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night//  
  
So he did.  
  
//And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger//  
  
When Chris heard the beginning of that song; he whirled around. He half expected what he saw up there, but he still felt like killing Shawn. He smiled though, knowing that it was all in fun to help him out.  
  
//The eye of the tiger//  
  
"Liz," Chris said, taking a knee so that he could save Shawn from embarrassing himself much further. "Will you marry me?" Tears came to her eyes and Chris' heart swelled.  
  
//The eye of the tiger//  
  
"Yes, I will!!" Liz shouted, and Chris jumped up to hug her. He put the ring on her finger and gave her a long kiss.  
  
//The eye of the tiger//  
  
"Now, I must go save Shawn." He said, and Liz laughed. Chris bolted up to the stage and grabbed a mic. Together he and Shawn belted out the lyrics, and felt like dumbasses in this fancy restaurant, but they were also having fun. That was what it's all about.  
  
//The eye of the tiger//  
  
Little did they know that Hunter was watching them as well. 


	55. Can't Be

Disclaimer: Only own XA/N, nothing more, nothing less.  
  
A/N: Well, everyone knows that school sucks. I'm restating the obvious. Hope that you like the chapter, and I have only a few things left to say. 1) WELCOME BACK ROCKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, you automatically get to regain your position of kicker of candy asses and the Rock's gurl!!! Welcome back!! 2) Lizzie, you need to update The Sweetest Sin, because you killing me with suspense. 3) Akila, same goes for you. Need to know more with your story Trapped in the Sky. Uh, I could go on forever, but I will stop. For those who have checked out my site, be warned that it is NOT updated to fanfiction anymore. I will get around to that as well, just give me some time.  
  
XA/N: Indians, long hair, dresses, stupid guys........just another XA/N!!  
  
Everyone was standing in a circle and leaning back as the spears aimed at their necks came dangerously close to piercing skin.  
  
"I think that they're a little upset." Rockie said.  
  
"No shit." Kurt said from across the circle.  
  
"Can it, Kirk Angel." Jericho said.  
  
"Everyone shut up, I think they want to talk." Lizzie said.  
  
"Even if they don't the Rock will beat their candy asses just to get out of this stupid suit." Rock muttered. A tall Indian came forth from the back. Everyone turned a little bit to see what was going to happen. He grunted a few times and then motioned to his tribe. No one moved.  
  
"Ok, Liz, what did he say?" Jericho muttered.  
  
"Oh, just give it a rest." Akila yelled. Skittle elbowed her. Akila hit her back. Both women began to battle back and forth as the Indians slowly lowered their spears. Jeff began to sneak towards the guys. Kurt was shaking his head as Akila and Skittle were battling it out. Rockie shook her head, and diverted Rock's attention away from them. The Indians were watching this with great interest when a gunshot echoed through the woods. Each Indian grabbed one of us, and held a spear to our throats.  
  
"What's going on?" Shawn asked. "Why are they all freaking out?" Men began to surface from the trees with rifles in their hands.  
  
"Colonists." JB answered him. Everyone was staring at the colonist in the lead.  
  
"No way." Jericho said.  
  
"Not this jabroni." Rockie said.  
  
In the front with a rifle aiming their way, was none other than Hunter Hearst Helmsley.  
  
**  
  
Chris and Shawn were prepping for their match later that night, when Vince walked in to the locker room. Both men stopped stretching and walked over to Vince.  
  
"What's up Vince?" Chris asked. Vince didn't answer right away, and both men began to get worried.  
  
"Hunter escaped from protective custody last night." Vince told them. Chris let his head fall back in an exasperated sigh.  
  
"Great, just freaking great. That is just what we need." Chris muttered, walking away from Vince to punch a wall. Shawn stayed where he was.  
  
"How did it happen?"  
  
"No one is sure yet, they're still trying to figure out what went wrong." Vince answered. Chris sat down and tuned them out. He grabbed his cell phone and dialed Liz's number.  
  
"Hello?" she asked in a slightly shaken voice.  
  
"Liz, are you okay?" he asked, immediately concerned.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine, I just saw on the news where Hunter is out again, though." Chris nodded.  
  
"That is what I was calling about. How are you holding up?"  
  
"Truthfully, I'm scared."  
  
"Is Rebecca and Cameron there with you?" Chris asked.  
  
"Yeah, they're here."  
  
"Are you sure that you'll be okay?" Chris asked.  
  
"Yeah. I'll be okay, go out there and make me proud in your match, all right?"  
  
"No problem, just be sure to pay attention to entrance, okay?"  
  
"Got it."  
  
"Love you." Chris said.  
  
"I love you more." Liz replied, smiling on the other end.  
  
"I'll bet. Bye."  
  
"Bye." Chris hung up the phone and sat there. Shawn came up by him and sat down next to him.  
  
"Everything ok?" Shawn asked as they stared at the wall. Chris shrugged.  
  
"She says so, but I'm not sure if I believe her." Shawn nodded.  
  
"We'd better be going soon." He said. Chris sat there for a moment after Shawn got up. He was beginning to wonder about their entrance and if they should really go through with it. He figured that Vince wouldn't let them do it anymore. In a word, he was right.  
  
*  
  
Shawn and Chris entered the ring together with their separate names, since they couldn't seem to ever agree on a tag name. They were supposed to be fighting a mystery opponent who was really the Dudley Boys. The music they heard after theirs was not that of the Dudley's.  
  
It wasn't music at all.  
  
It was screaming.  
  
Chris and Shawn looked at each other for a second, then ducked as Batista and Hunter swung a chair at their heads. They rolled out of the ring and began to retreat to the back, when they ran into something tall.  
  
They ran into Kane and the Undertaker.  
  
Kane and Undertaker grabbed both Shawn and Chris by the throat, as if to chokeslam them, then began to walk towards the ring. They threw both of them into the ring, where Hunter and Batista were waiting. Chris propped himself up on one elbow and looked into the crowd.  
  
Liz was there with Cameron and Rebecca.  
  
Chris blinked his eyes several times and was so focused on that one person in the crowd, he didn't notice Hunter and Batista picking him up to slam his head into a chair.  
  
"It can't be. Can't be. She's not there. Don't kid yourself...." His mind was telling him, but he wasn't listening.  
  
In the crowd next to Liz, was Cori in the flesh and blood.  
  
** 


	56. When Your Dreams Become Reality

Disclaimer: Only own XA/N!!  
  
A/N: Well, here is another update. Be sure to keep your eyes open for another one on either Sunday or Monday maybe. Also, please, please, pretty please check out Lost in the Shadows and Drop to Zero if you haven't already.  
  
XA/N: Don't really know why I am basing this on colonial things....maybe because that's what my test is over on Wednesday......hmmmmmm, well anyways, Hunter is stuck here with us, and we are being threatened by Indians. Life is never easy in XA/N.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't my favorite people in the whole wide world." Hunter sneered. Rockie snorted.  
  
"Yeah, and pigs fly." Rock smiled at that comment.  
  
"Triple Nose, how did you wind up here?" Jericho asked. Lizzie reached over to hold his hand.  
  
"The same way you people did, but if you want to live, you're going to have to agree with me." Hunter said. The group all reluctantly agreed.  
  
"Fine." Akila said, "As long as Jeffery gets to come with me."  
  
"No, he is mine!!!"  
  
"Back off, Barbie!!" Akila shouted. Hunter ordered the two to shut up, and somehow instructed the Indians to release them.  
  
"Good work Hunter, I didn't think that you could have pulled it off." Steph said, Kurt was smirking behind her. Hunter was smirking along with them, although not for the same reason.  
  
The group began to think that they were being set up for something bigger. JB shook her head as they began to walk. She couldn't believe how fast that scenario had taken place. It seemed just like a dream to her, and to the rest or the former GM's of RAW.....  
  
Perhaps it was.....  
  
**  
  
Chris stared at his daughter. How could she be alive?? There was no possible way, yet here she was, standing in the front row, looking at him. He reached his hand out to her.  
  
"Cori." He whispered. Cori leaned over the barricade as Chris tried to roll out of the ring. Hunter started to kick him again, and ended up knocking him out of the ring anyways. Chris reached his knees and looked up. He tried again to reach her.  
  
He heard a gun click behind him.  
  
He saw the bullet pierce her skull.  
  
He began to scream.  
  
"CORI!!!!!!!!!!!!" He screamed in horror as she fell to the floor. He crawled over to her and held her in his lap. "No, no, not again, don't you dare...." Chris began to cry, and scream with frustration and rage.  
  
*  
  
"Chris, Chris!!! Wake up, you're having a nightmare." Liz yelled at him and grabbed his shoulders. She shook him hard and he startled awake. Sweat covered his body and tears were outlined in his eyes.  
  
Chris realized where he was and relief began to wash over him. He grabbed Liz and hugged her to him. He slowly began to cry. Liz couldn't believe what he was doing. He rarely ever cried at all, much less in front of her. She was so shocked that she didn't even ask him what had happened. She knew whatever it was; it had been bad.  
  
And, it also, more likely than not, was about Cori.  
  
Chris and Shawn were scheduled to return to RAW on the upcoming Monday, which was about three days away. Ever since Monday of the current week, Chris had been having nightmares about Cori. Often, Liz would have to wake him up, and then he would tell Shawn about them. He rarely told Liz his dreams because after the first one, she said to simply tell Shawn and ask his opinion.  
  
So Chris had.  
  
And his nightmares got worse.  
  
Liz had to actually slap him once to get him to stop screaming in his dream, and when he had gone into the bathroom to splash water on his face, he noticed Cori's name was written on the mirror.  
  
Things were beginning to get serious.  
  
Liz was trying to set a date and get some things lined out for their wedding, but it was almost becoming impossible to reach him. He was slowly slipping away.  
  
Shawn had recently found out that he was going to be a dad again, so he was spending more time with his wife than he was with Chris, which wasn't such a bad thing, but it made Chris shut up only further about his dreams until Randy came over to his house one day to talk to him again.  
  
*  
  
"Hey Chris, sorry for not being around lately, had to go visit my Grandma in Missouri. So, what's been happening?" Randy asked when Chris answered the door. Chris wordlessly led him inside and spilled the whole story.  
  
And still the dreams got worse.  
  
*  
  
Liz walked into the living room to get a drink. She noticed that the TV was still on, and she wondered if she had left it on by accident. She walked into the living room and saw Chris, trying desperately to not fall asleep. She walked in and sat down next to him.  
  
"You need to sleep, you know. When Monday rolls around, you won't be able to see straight." Liz warned him. Chris looked up at her from his slouched position on the couch.  
  
"Monday is what I'm afraid of. All of the dreams have been about Monday. Things that happen when we come back, or things that aren't possible. I'm beginning to think that something bad is about to happen or has already happened." Chris said to her. He was so tired, but he didn't want to dream. He didn't want to see ~her~ again. Cori was haunting him again. She had been dead about three years by this point, and she sill haunted his life. He felt like a loser.  
  
"How about if Rebecca, Cameron and I, go to the show on Mon-" Liz was cut off by Chris' snoring. Had he been awake, he would have protested her decision until he was blue in the face.  
  
Instead, he was dreaming the most peaceful dream he'd had in a month.  
  
His dreams were going to become a reality soon.  
  
**  
  
Please Review!!!!!! For those in XA/N, Can you think of a quick name for me to call the whole group of people instead of typing out individual names? If so, help me out please!!! 


	57. Time to play the Game

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N. Nothing more, nothing less.  
  
A/N: Well, as promised, here is yet another chapter. The next updation I promise is for next Sunday. Until then, check out Drop to Zero and please, please, please, read and review Lost in the Shadows. I'm begging you!!  
  
XA/N: Well, we have thoughts of being set up, and I haven't made up my mind yet about the name. How about XA/Nites? Lol. Ok, seriously, if you want that name, we'll stick with it, if not, then I'll think of something else. Ok, here we go.....  
  
Hunter led the XA/Nites back to his huge plantation where we were all treated very fairly, (surprisingly). Everyone was wondering when something was going to go wrong, or when Hunter was going to pull out a nuclear bomb and blow them off of the face of the Earth, but neither happened. The XA/Nites all had the best night's sleep that they'd had in years.  
  
*  
  
The next morning, when Jericho woke up, he realized that Lizzie had already gotten up and left. He wiped the sleep from his eyes and got up. He dressed quickly and was about ready to leave the room, when Lizzie came back in from the balcony.  
  
"You freaked me out, where were you?" Jericho asked her.  
  
"Just looking."  
  
*  
  
Rock and Rockie had almost the exact same setting in their room, as did Kurt and Steph. When it came to Akila, Skittle and Jeff, well, we all know that those three are always at it.....  
  
"What were you doing hugging my Jeffery?????" Akila yelled. Then she turned to Jeff. "What were YOU doing hugging her!!!!" She demanded. Jeff didn't even have time to defend himself. Skittle began to scream and made the rest of the XA/Nites come and check out what was wrong. Everyone walked to the window that she was looking out of.  
  
Hunter was helping to put up a cross in the middle of the front yard. That might not have been horrible, had they not noticed the body hanging from it.  
  
"Has anyone seen JB?? I can't find her any-" Shawn cut himself off. He saw Hunter grinning in the field. JB was motionless on the cross.  
  
"Jesus." Rockie said.  
  
**  
  
Chris sat on the bench and began to tape up his wrists. He was still unsettled about tonight. Something in his gut was telling him that things weren't right. Randy was sitting across from him, and Shawn was seated next to him. He had filled Shawn in on the dreams and how they had suddenly ceased.  
  
"I don't like it. It's not right. Something has happened to make them stop. Do you think that I should call Liz and check up on her?"  
  
"Calm down, man, I'm sure that she's fine." Shawn said. Chris looked at him.  
  
"You're probably right. Just gotta calm down, nothing is going to happen. It's all going to go smoothly..." Chris muttered. Randy and Shawn exchanged a look. These dreams were really freaking Chris out and they knew it. They were going to have to do something about it. They knew that Liz, Rebecca and Cameron were all going to bee there tonight, but Liz had wanted it to be a surprise, so they had said nothing.  
  
*  
  
Chris and Shawn were waiting by the ramp to go out to the ring.  
  
"Do or die time." Shawn said. "Don't lose your head out there Chris, we're going to do just fine, all right?" Chris smirked.  
  
"I'll try not to."  
  
"And one more thing," Shawn said before their music hit. "Switch your coffee to decaf for me, will you?" Chris smiled at that. He nodded and looked towards the ground.  
  
"I'll try."  
  
They headed out to the ring with darkened lights, since the crowd wasn't supposed to know who they were right away. They ran to the ring in the dark and when the lights came back up, the crowd screamed and cheered.  
  
They were glad to have the Heartbreak Kid and the Highlight of the Night back on their show once again. Even happier to have them working together. Chris glanced around at the crowd and saw Liz in the front row. Sitting right next to Cameron and Rebecca.  
  
"No." He whispered. "No...." He looked next to Liz, but he didn't see Cori anywhere in sight. He turned around more sharply now, he was watching all around him. Evolution's music hit. Chris faced forwards again. Shawn put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down, but that wasn't working either. Chris rolled out of the ring and walked over to where Liz and Rebecca were.  
  
"Go, get out of here, it's not safe!!" Chris yelled over the music. The arena was almost completely dark.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Liz asked him.  
  
"Please, trust me, Liz, I don't want you to get hurt. I dreamed this." Chris said. Liz's face was a mask of confusion. Chris had no time to try and explain more. Hunter had wrapped a thick chain around his neck just as the lights came back up. Liz gasped.  
  
"Leave him alone!!" She screamed. Shawn was busy attacking Batista, he didn't even notice what was happening on the other side of the ring.  
  
Hunter pulled Chris back; making his feet leave the ground. Chris began to choke. He squinted his eyes in pain. Randy came barreling down towards the ring. He punched Hunter, which made all three of them fall to the ground. Chris looked up at the ceiling as his eyes tried to refocus. He couldn't even tell that Hunter was choking him. His world was slowly fading to black. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then reopened them.  
  
He knew that he had been out for more than just a moment, when he got the sensation that he was up very high. Hunter was standing on the top rope with Chris raised high in the air. Chris put his hand in Hunter's face, which made him drop Chris on the ring post. Chris fell off and landed hard on the mat. He closed his eyes as he heard the bell being rung. Maybe Shawn had won the match. He didn't know nor did he care, he wanted to sleep, he wanted this damn nightmare to be over with.  
  
Chris looked at the titan tron for a moment and saw Cori. He knew that he wasn't dreaming. It was the same footage that had aired at Summerslam three years ago. Cori being shot, and then Shawn finding her.  
  
But this footage was earlier in the tape.  
  
Chris watched as he saw Hunter force himself upon his daughter. Anger began to surge through his body. He pushed himself up, and climbed back in the ring. Shawn and Randy were both getting the crap kicked out of them by Hunter and Batista.  
  
Chris was about to even the score.  
  
**  
  
Review please!!! Also please check out Drop to Zero and Lost in the Shadows!!! 


	58. Concussions and Dreams

Disclaimer: XA/N is mine, nothing more, nothing less.  
  
A/N: Well, here we are yet again with another fabulous week of updation. Hope you enjoy the chapter, although I can't guarantee that it will be long. I promise that if I have time during the week, I will update again, but until then, it will be next Sunday.  
  
XA/N: So, I got hung on a cross and Hunter's a weirdo......  
  
Shawn was sitting on the edge of the bed, sobbing, while all of the girls were trying to comfort him. Rock, Jericho, Jeff, and Kurt were all trying to think about what they were going to do.  
  
"JB was the most powerful one here." Jericho said.  
  
"No shit man, she was the author." Rock said to him.  
  
"Correction: I am the author." JB said, walking into the room. "What's up with everyone? I go out for a little walk, and everyone has a cow." Shawn looked up, then look back out the window. The cross was still there, but a scarecrow was attached to it.  
  
"What is going on?" Lizzie asked, her head beginning to spin. Rockie stumbled over to Rock, who barely caught her. Akila and Skittle both fell on Jeff, and he fell to the floor. Steph was fine, and wondering what was going on.  
  
"JB, what's happening to them?" Jericho screamed at her, while holding Lizzie, whose eyes were rolled back into her head. JB looked Jericho in the eyes.  
  
"Hunter is what's happening to them."  
  
"Why aren't all of us sick, then?" Rock yelled frantically.  
  
"Have all of you had near-death experiences?" JB asked. A shocked look went around the room and Lizzie tried to say something.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes. Hunter has....well....he's got certain powers that can affect only certain people. This won't make any sense, but they aren't the ones in trouble, although they look to be." Realization came across everyone who was still standing or kneeling.  
  
"We're the ones in trouble." Jeff said. JB nodded. Steph looked at her.  
  
"So you're basically saying that this is a hallucination?"  
  
"Yes, right now Lizzie, Rockie, Akila and Skittle are all worried sick and trying to figure out what happened."  
  
"How do you know all of this?" Shawn asked the one question that had remained on his mind.  
  
"Because I'm stuck between both worlds. I really am hanging on that cross out there, but the instant I was hung up out there, it sent a serious brain bash to all of you. The others will join in here soon, and before we know it, we will all be in between worlds. It is only a matter of time."  
  
"If we die in this world, do we get to go back to our world?" Lizzie asked faintly. She was coming to. All of the other XA/Nites were. JB looked at her.  
  
"We will go to a different world, but it is not guaranteed to be our own. Or, it might be our world, simply in a different time, it is impossible to tell. There is one fall back, though." JB said.  
  
"We might not all be in the same world." Rockie finished for her. JB nodded.  
  
"That's very possible."  
  
**  
  
Rage coursed through Chris' body. He saw Hunter and Batista beating up Randy and Shawn, and began to walk towards them. All the while, His daughter's screaming face played in his head.  
  
Hunter was going to pay, and he would make damn sure of it.  
  
Chris yanked Hunter off of Shawn and began to lay hard punches into his face. Within the first two punches or so, Hunter's nose was broken and his face began to bleed.  
  
"Son of a bitch!!!!!!" Chris screamed. Batista walked over to try and help out Hunter, but Chris swatted him away as if he were a fly.  
  
Chris pounded and pounded until Hunter's face was covered with blood. He could hear his heart beat in his ears and his vision began to blur. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he kept punching Hunter. He was vaguely aware of Shawn and Randy trying to get him off, but he swatted them away too, and simply kept punching. Referees came out and tried to get Chris off of Hunter, who was now unconscious.  
  
After a few failed times, the refs finally did succeed in pulling Chris off of Hunter. He was still swinging as if someone had flipped the on switch and forgot to turn it off again.  
  
Shawn and Randy were trying to calm Chris down, when all of a sudden, he just blacked out.  
  
*  
  
When Chris came to, he was in the hospital, staring up at the ceiling. He heard muffled voices around him, but he couldn't understand what they were saying. What the hell had happened to him? The last thing he remembered was being chokeslammed by Hunter, after that, his mind drew a blank.  
  
Liz leaned over and was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't understand anything she said to him. He wanted to know what had happened since he had been chokeslammed. He couldn't remember, and it was driving him crazy. Chris blinked a few times and looked around him.  
  
He coughed to try and speak. "Wh-what happened?" he whispered. Shawn and Liz exchanged a glance, while Randy simply stared at him.  
  
"After I got chokeslammed, what happened to me?" Chris asked them. Shawn looked at him.  
  
"Hunter rolled a video that showed him raping Cori. You went berserk and punched him so hard and so many times that his face was covered in blood, and you broke his nose in three places. As soon as we got you away from him, you fainted." Shawn said. Chris leaned back and desperately tried to remember. Nothing was coming to him.  
  
"I don't remember doing that. I can't remember anything after I got chokeslammed from the top rope." Chris told them. The doctor walked in as he said that.  
  
"Your concussion might have something to do with that." The doctor said. Shawn and Liz both backed away from the bed a little so that the doctor could examine Chris.  
  
"You got into a pretty nasty fight, but you came out the victor. I have never seen such rage like that!! It made for a pretty interesting match." The doctor told Chris, as he was peering into his eyes.  
  
"You've still got a pretty nasty concussion. We're going to keep you overnight for observation, all right?" The doc asked him.  
  
"That's peachy to me, as long as you keep me away from needles." Chris said, he rolled over to go back to sleep, he was still exhausted. Liz and Shawn sat down on either side of him, and Randy went to go get some coffee.  
  
*  
  
Chris ran down the hallway of the deserted hallway.  
  
"Hunter!!" he bellowed. He was in his hospital gown, but he had the distinct feeling that he wasn't in a hospital.  
  
"Follow my voice, Chris." Hunter yelled back. Chris ran faster.  
  
"When I find you, I'm gonna kill you, son of a bitch!!" Chris yelled.  
  
"We'll see." Hunter's voice yelled back. Chris ran faster yet, until he saw the door at the end of the hallway. He slowed down, and came up upon the door. He peered inside the small window. Hunter was standing in the room. He was standing in front of something though. Hunter smiled at him, then stepped aside. Cori was sitting in a chair, gagged and tied down. Chris watched as Hunter began to kiss her and such. He banged his fists on the door and kicked at it, yet nothing would move. He was forced to watch Hunter force himself on his daughter. Chris screamed.  
  
"Chris!!! CHRIS WAKE UP!!!!!" Shawn screamed, shaking Chris to wake up. He stayed asleep.  
  
"CORI!!!" Chris yelled. He thrashed about, and tried to get away from Shawn.  
  
"CHRIS, STOP IT!!!" Liz screamed. The doctor ran in with several nurses behind him.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"He's having a nightmare!!!" Shawn yelled, holding a thrashing, kicking Chris to the hospital bed.  
  
"Wake him up!!" The doctor yelled.  
  
"I CAN'T!!!" Shawn yelled back at him. The doctor walked over to Chris' bed and looked at the heart monitor. His heartbeats and blood pressure were higher tan they should have been. All of a sudden the jagged lines on the heart monitor flat-lined and Chris stopped thrashing.  
  
"Shit." The doctor said. "Get me an EEG in here now!!!!" He said, moving Shawn, Liz and Randy to the other side of the room.  
  
"What's going on?" Liz asked.  
  
"His heart stopped, we've got to bring him back." The doctor told them.  
  
**  
  
READ N REVIEW!!! 


	59. Moments

Disclaimer: Own XA/N nothing else.  
  
A/N: Well, surprise!! I should be studying for my Health test, but there are 24 useable hours in every day, aren't there? Anyhow, here is a surprise update!! Check out Drop to Zero because it is done done done WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! OK. Now, I have some shocking news for the Jerichoholics out there, unless you read Drop to Zero's chapter already!! Here is the shocker:  
  
JERICHO IS GOING TO BE A DADDY!!!!!!  
  
In real life, I'm dead serious. On the Orlando Jones show that aired last night, he said that he and his wife were expecting a child. It's going to be a boy, and of all the things that you could name your child, he is going to name him Ash. Ash from the Evil Dead movies. My brother has the first Evil Dead movie, and I'm going to go back and watch it to make sure that there IS an Ash on that movie, because I sure as hell don't remember an Ash on that movie, but I really don't have that good of a memory, either. My first thought was that he named him Ash from like the Pokemon kind of Ash. Which I couldn't figure out, but then he explained it, and I still don't understand why he would name his kid Ash. Oh well, not my kid. So, Congrats to Jericho and Best Wishes!!! Hope that you enjoy the chapter.  
  
XA/N: Since I am kind of pressed for time right now, and I have to read a chapter in my Health book tonight, I hope that you won't kill me if I skip this today. I promise that on Sunday, I will make an extra long XA/N!!!!  
  
**This chapter takes place all within a span of a few minutes, ok?**  
  
**  
  
Shawn paced outside of the ER. Liz was sitting in the chair below the window. She no longer wanted to see what they were doing to Chris. Cameron and Rebecca had gone down to the vending machine, since Rebecca was getting upset.  
  
Liz buried her face in her hands. Randy walked over to her and put his arm around her.  
  
"Chris will pull out of this. He's tough. I promise you that he will." He reassured her.  
  
Liz looked up at him. "I hope that you're right Randy. I mean.....I know that Chris had made it through a lot of things before, but this....."  
  
Shawn peered into the window again.  
  
"Dammit, why can't they give us an update every once in a while?" Shawn muttered to himself.  
  
He thought back on how Chris had acted when he had tried to wake him up. Like he was someone that he despised. Or that he was seeing something that he despised.......  
  
Then it hit him.  
  
Chris was beginning to recall what he had done in his dream. Shawn shook his head.  
  
"That would have made him happy. This dream....was upsetting him...." Shawn muttered again.  
  
"What are you mumbling about?" Randy asked him. Shawn shook his head and kept thinking.  
  
Once again, an idea struck him.  
  
He had been remembering the video.  
  
That seemed more likely than him remembering what he did. There must have been some other additive in the dream, though. Something extremely bad.  
  
Like Chris witnessing the rape.  
  
Shawn shook his head. He looked away from the glass to see the doctor who had been working on Chris jogging up to him.  
  
Judgement Day.  
  
**  
  
Please REVIEW!!!!! 


	60. Dream, Dream, Dreeeeeaaaaaammm

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: Another surprise update!! I thought that I would try and bring you some cheer on this sad day. It seemed like the only thing that we talked about in school today. 9-11-01. All Americans will forever remember that day. As far as the rest of the world goes, I really don't know. I doubt if I will ever forget what I was doing. All right, I'm starting to sound like my teachers....:o( Not Good. All right, so here is the update for Next to Nothing, obviously, and, for those who are immensely concerned, I am contemplating a sequel to Drop to Zero, as we speak, so spread the word around!!  
  
XA/N: OK, continuing on from Chapter 58....(I don't feel like typing up a summary about it this time, too much too type about that....Besides, you can go back and read it if you really need to!)  
  
"Wait, wait, so you're saying that if we all die in this world, then one of us could end up in like Beethoven's time, and another in some futuristic world?" Jericho asked. Everyone in the room was beginning to show concern.  
  
"That's exactly what I'm saying."  
  
"Well, how can we reverse it, or just avoid it?" Rockie asked. JB shrugged.  
  
"I don't really know."  
  
"How can you NOT know???? You're the god damn author of this thing!!!" Akila screamed. JB simply looked at her.  
  
"There are things that even I don't understand, and even those I do, could be very well near impossible to explain." JB said calmly. Lizzie walked over to the window.  
  
"I understand that." She said quietly. The whole room seemed to echo the silence that the situation warranted. Nothing seemed to move, it was as if time itself had stopped, which was nearly impossible.  
  
Nearly impossible.  
  
Akila happened to glance over at Jeff while the silence was consuming the room, and saw that Skittle was sitting on his lap.  
  
"GET THE HELL AWAY FROM MY JEFFERY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Akila screamed, making everyone in the room visibly jump. Skittle glanced up just in time to see Akila getting ready to tackle her to the ground, when she suddenly stopped.  
  
"What's the matter? Did you get scared...?" Skittle taunted her. Then she noticed what everyone else had been staring at.  
  
"Christ." Jericho said. Shawn echoed him.  
  
"What in the blue hell-" Rock started.  
  
"Is going on here?" Rockie finished for him. Lizzie walked up to JB and put a hand behind her. She leaned in front of her to see if it was true.  
  
JB was becoming transparent.  
  
She wasn't becoming it alone, though.  
  
Everyone else was too.  
  
"All right, everyone, join hands, we'll see if this works!!!" JB shouted. Everyone made a circle. Each XA/Nite got to "stand by her man", and since it was a circle, Akila and Skittle both got to stand by Jeff. On opposite sides, of course.  
  
"Chris, I have to tell you something, right now in case I never see you again." Lizzie said, tears visibly coming to her eyes. Chris leaned over so that he could hear her better. A large, horrendous wind gushing sound was making it difficult to say things.  
  
"What is it?" Chris yelled. The wind was getting louder.  
  
"You're going to be a father!!!" Lizzie screamed. Chris dropped her hand. Shock was written all over his face.  
  
"I-I'm..." Chris started, but the wind was drowning him out. Lizzie realized that they were all going to be leaving the world soon, so she grabbed for his hand.  
  
But she grabbed too late.  
  
"NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHRIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Lizzie screamed. Everyone else had made it.  
  
Everyone else except for Chris.  
  
**  
  
Shawn and Liz ran up to the doctor. Both were anxious and terrified to find out what had become of their friend, and in Liz's case, fiancée. Randy walked up a little slower. He was afraid to know what the doctor had to tell them.  
  
"What happened?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Is he all right?" Liz asked on the heels of Shawn's question. The doctor held up his hands in defense.  
  
"One at a time. First, I have to tell you that Chris is doing just fine. We've gotten him stabilized and he's doing good." The doctor said.  
  
"When will we get to see him?" Shawn asked.  
  
"Ah, you see, that might be a little bit of a problem, because...."  
  
"What the hell did you do to him, you bastard?!?!" Shawn screamed, grabbing the doctor by the collar of his white coat, and slamming him up against the nearest wall. "What the hell did you DO?!?!?" Liz and Randy were trying to tell Shawn to let the doctor go, and that this wasn't helping matters along any.  
  
"He-He slipped into a coma, shortly after we revived him!!" The doctor said defenselessly. "He said about six words, then he went into a coma." Shawn glared at him.  
  
"What did he say?" He growled.  
  
"I-I don't remember..."  
  
"WHAT DID HE SAY?!" Shawn yelled.  
  
"He said, he said 'Hunter's out, got to find Cori'. That's it, that's all, I swear, please let me go." Shawn released the doctor and walked over to Liz. She was crying again. Again. He wondered how many more times she would have to go through this, after she and Chris got married. Shawn engulfed her into a hug as he himself began to shed tears. He reached over and dragged Randy into the hug as well. All of them, no matter how hard they tried, had to believe that this was Chris' last chance.  
  
If he somehow managed to pull out of this, they didn't think that he was going to make it one more time through something like this.  
  
They also knew that his dreams had put him here.  
  
When you're in a coma, all you really seem to do is dream.....  
  
**  
  
REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!! 


	61. Twilight Zone

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N  
  
A/N: Ah, updates, yet again. Last night I updated because **gasp** I had absolutely NO homework!!! Once again, I have homework though, but it is Friday night!! I was actually supposed to be going to a football game, but we suck and it's raining; so no thank you. Consequently, I am home alone.....ah the sweet silence....Tomorrow/Tonight I will begin writing on the sequel to Drop to Zero. I sure hope that I can top this one...By the way, if you guys are curious as to where I got my inspiration for that story from, on October 28th, season 3 of 24 begins. Check it out, because it is stinking awesome......not to mention that Kiefer Sutherland (the guy who plays Jack, the main character) is pretty fine.....All right, on to XA/N!!!!!!!  
  
XA/N: OK, so I DID try to kill Chris again....will I succeed??????  
  
"CHRIS!!!!!!" Lizzie screamed. Everyone had dropped their hands by this time, and they were beginning to become visible again. All of the XA/Nites were standing in the middle of a cornfield. Well, all except for Chris, which we established last chapter....  
  
JB knelt next to Lizzie, who was sobbing on her knees.  
  
"Don't try to console me, it's not going to work. I'm never going to see Chris again...."Lizzie said into her hands. JB put an arm around her. Rockie, Akila, Skittle, and Steph knew that there was nothing that any of them could do that would bring Chris back. Not unless JB had a trick up her sleeve, which more often than not, she did.  
  
"There's something else you need to know about the world traveling thing, Lizzie," JB said softly. "There's a very possible chance that Chris DID end up in this world. He just isn't here in this exact location." Lizzie looked at her.  
  
"How would we ever find him?"  
  
"I think I can answer that one, JB, correct me if I'm wrong." Rockie said, stepping closer to Lizzie. "Where we came through is some kind of portal. If there's the possibility of ending up in other worlds, then there are obviously other portals out there, catching my drift?" Lizzie kind of nodded.  
  
"So, JB, does this mean that if we find some kind of distinguishing thing about these portals, then we can possibly find another one, and find Chris?" Skittle asked. JB nodded and smiled.  
  
"Couldn't have said it better myself."  
  
"I could." Akila muttered.  
  
"What was that?" Skittle asked, taunting Akila.  
  
"OK, that's it, get your small ass over here so I can beat the living crap out of you!!!" Akila yelled.  
  
"Sure, but on one condition." Skittle said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You've gotta catch this small piece of ass first!!!!" Skittle screamed, taking off through the cornfield.  
  
"GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE, CHEATER!!!!!" Akila screamed.  
  
"Guess we should go and follow them, eh?" Lizzie asked, standing up. JB nodded, as did the rest of the guys.  
  
"Might as well, we've got a long way to go."  
  
**  
  
Randy sat back in the uncomfortable hospital chair. This was the third day of him simply sitting there, and his back was beginning to tell him about it. Chris remained the same as he had the previous two days, lifeless and asleep. He had moved around a few times and his heart rate had shot up a little, but other than that, he was doing extremely well for someone in a coma.  
  
Even though Randy didn't know how you really COULD do well, if you're in a coma.  
  
Shawn was taking the whole thing kind of hard, since he knew that he hadn't been there when Chris had been complaining about his nightmares earlier. Liz was also taking the whole coma thing kind of hard, which was expected because hell, she was engaged to the man.  
  
Randy sighed and closed his eyes.  
  
He wondered what Chris was thinking about. He wondered what it would be like to be in a coma and not know.  
  
Or did you know, and not believe it until you woke up?  
  
Randy let these thoughts run through his head as sleep claimed him.  
  
*  
  
He suddenly jolted awake when Shawn put a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"What? What happened?" Randy asked, knowing that the look on Shawn's face was far from being a good one.  
  
Shawn opened his mouth to speak several times, but no words would form. He bit down on his bottom lip and moved out of the way for Randy to see.  
  
Liz was lying in a bed right next to Chris'.  
  
"Jesus, she's cut up, what happened, and why didn't you wake me sooner?"  
  
"She just got moved down out of ICU......She tried to kill herself, Randy." Shawn said gently. Randy closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath and sighed.  
  
"Shit."  
  
"I found her in the bathroom about an hour ago, by that time, she had already lost a substantial amount of blood. It was...horrible to say the least....."  
  
"Do you know why she did it?" Randy asked. Shawn looked away from Randy for a second. "You do, don't you? Did you tell the doctors?"  
  
"God, no. They wouldn't understand. I was watching the news a while ago, and they said that...that Hunter's escaped from jail."  
  
"What?!" Randy yelled.  
  
"That's not all, though. The estimated time he escaped fits in almost perfectly when Chris said that he had escaped before going into the coma. It's kind of like the Twilight Zone around here. I sent Rebecca and Cameron over to Vince's place, he's supposed to look after them. I didn't want them to be alone, but I didn't know who else to trust." Shawn said. Randy nodded.  
  
"Good call. Any news on when Chris or Liz are going to come around?"  
  
"Liz should be awake in about an hour or so, when the drugs wear off, nothing about Chris yet. "  
  
"Have to find a car....."Chris muttered in his sleep, startling both Shawn and Randy. They both gave each other a look and walked over to the bed cautiously.  
  
"Car....getaway plan.....need to make them pay......need to make him sorry....heh....stupid bastards don't know what's coming......" Chris muttered in a very Hunter-like voice. "I'll make.....pay most of all......make him watch that tape over and over.....'til it's burned into his memory....." Shawn looked at Randy.  
  
"No, that is not right and it is not possible," Randy said, knowing what Shawn was thinking.  
  
"I think that it is possible. Chris knows Hunter's thoughts. He's taking those thoughts and talking about them out loud. The question is, can Hunter do the same?" Shawn asked to himself more so than to Randy. Randy turned to look down at Chris again, but found himself face to face with him.  
  
"Holy shit!!" Randy screamed, stumbling backwards. Chris' eyes were dilated to the point where only little slivers of blue showed through. Quite a scary sight to come into contact with when you're not expecting it. His eyes were wide open and his face a menacing look on it.  
  
"I'll get them all." Chris said in the Hunter voice again. "I'll kill them too, every last one of them...." He blinked a few times until a regular expression was back on his face. His eyes contracted back to the light, and he sat back. He put his hands to his head.  
  
"Jesus...." he said to himself, rubbing his temples. "What the hell was that?"  
  
Shawn and Randy just exchanged another glance.  
  
One that said the exact thing that Chris had just muttered to himself.  
  
**  
  
Please REVIEW and check out Lost in the Shadows!!!! 


	62. What Cost Will Come?

Disclaimer: Only own XA/N!!!  
  
A/N: Well, here I am, updating yet again!! I don't know if an update will occur tomorrow or not. Simply because I will most likely have homework and I am going in to get contacts tomorrow! Woo hoo!! After 6 years of wearing glasses, I won't have to deal with the anymore!!! YAY!!!!! Ok, anyways, Tuesday is a possibility, but I'm really not sure. Just keep checking back as often as you can, and if I've updated, then enjoy it!! OK, on to XA/N!!  
  
XA/N: You all know what was going on......  
  
Akila and Skittle are about three miles ahead of everyone, still running, however, the XA/Nites have nothing to fear, seeming as they can hear Akila screaming profanities at Skittle all the way.  
  
"Wouldn't you think that her voice would have run out yet?" Lizzie asked. Rockie shrugged.  
  
"Maybe she's used to yelling like that?" Rockie suggested.  
  
"She is. Trust me." Jeff said. JB smiled. They walked a little ways more along the cornfield when they came to a clearing. Skittle and Akila were running around in a continuous circle in the clearing.  
  
"Just wait until I catch you, stupid biatch!!"  
  
"You're gonna be waiting for a while!!!" Even Lizzie had to smile as she saw the spectacle that was occurring before her. Rockie started walking inside the clearing for a moment.  
  
"Everybody shut up!!" She yelled. Everyone did, and even a few crows flew away. As they stood there and listened for a second, they began to hear something that sounded like it might be far away.  
  
"Damnit, stupid piece of shit!!! Get away from me you stupid dog!!" someone's voice floated through the field. Lizzie's eyes brightened.  
  
"It's Chris!! I KNOW it's him!!!!" She yelled. She took off running in the direction of his voice. The other XA/Nites took off after her.  
  
"Do you really think that it is smart for her to simply run into whatever is out there?" Rockie asked JB as they were running to catch up to Lizzie.  
  
"Probably not, but it sounds an awful lot like Chris. I think that she'll be okay."  
  
The XA/Nites soon reached another clearing, which Lizzie was standing right in the middle of. She was staring up at something. Everyone looked up.  
  
It was a scarecrow.  
  
Not just any ordinary scarecrow, though.  
  
Jericho was where the scarecrow was supposed to be.  
  
"It's wonderful to see you all too, now could you please get me down from here? And somehow get that stupid dog away from the pole?" Jericho asked them. Akila smiled.  
  
"One little mishap in a trip sure doesn't change you much, does it, Jericho?"  
  
"Hell no, but being stuck on a freaking scarecrow pole makes me angry, now get me down!!!" Shawn, Rock, and Jeff all laughed.  
  
"Ha ha ha." Jericho mocked them in his sarcastic laugh. "Come one assclowns, it really hurts to be tied up here like this!" Lizzie smiled through all of it, she couldn't wait to hug and kiss Chris again.  
  
But something dangerous was lurking in that cornfield.  
  
Something that no one had ever seen before.  
  
**  
  
**  
  
**4 MONTHS LATER**  
  
Chris and Liz were both released from the hospital, but Liz was to never leave Chris' sight. They'd had a very lengthy talk about everything, and it seemed that the wedding was still on. Shawn and Randy were constant visitors, as well as Rebecca and Cameron. Rebecca's visits were always with a slightly more bulging belly, though. Shawn was to be a father again.  
  
Despite Hunter's escape, he did nothing to them in the course of the four months. In fact, no one heard anything from Hunter.  
  
Unless you listened to what Chris was saying in his sleep.  
  
They had never told the doctors what they had seen in that hospital room. Randy and Shawn both tried to forget that it had even happened. But, they never seemed to forget it. They tried numerous times to try and explain it to Chris. He didn't know WHAT happened, but he knew that SOMETHING happened.  
  
He had more headaches, more frequently. He said that he didn't dream as much anymore, and when he did, they were all pleasant dreams. He would describe places that seemed beautiful and lovely.  
  
Then, the next thing you'd know, you'd turn on the TV and some kind of crime or murder had just happened there.  
  
Chris had no idea how to explain it. He didn't know what the hell was happening to him. He and Liz had started on the wedding plans, and she hadn't done anything drastic in that course of time. Chris figured that it was a one time thing from all of the stress that she was feeling.  
  
God knew that he had considered that from time to time.  
  
Randy pretty much lived with Chris now. When Chris would fall asleep, Randy snuck up to the door to listen and see if Hunter was planning on doing anything. It was the only way to know.  
  
The only way to beat Hunter at his own game, was to BE the Game.  
  
Randy was wondering what kind of cost they would have to pay before too much longer. He was wondering how much time they had left.  
  
He was wondering if the cost would involve a life.  
  
**  
  
Please REVIEW and check out Lost in the Shadows. 


	63. Seeing is Believing

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: Well, Aren't I just the little updating freak recently? If there are a lot of typos in this chapter, bear with me. I just got contacts and well, my eyes are still adjusting, so cut me a little slack. All right, 251 Reviews!!! How's that for impressive?? Thank you millions!!!! I love all of you!!! Hope you enjoy this chapter!!!  
  
XA/N: So we found Chris and everyone's all happy. Yippie ky yay.....  
  
Chris rubbed at his arms once he was off of the pole. Lizzie ran up to him and engulfed him in a hug.  
  
"God, I was so afraid that I'd never see you again!" Lizzie whispered to him. He wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"I know the feeling." Chris said. "Were you serious when you said that I was going to be a father?"  
  
"Yes. Dead serious." Lizzie told him. Chris smiled and kissed her head.  
  
"AWWWWWWWWW......" All of the XA/Nites say. Chris and Lizzie break away.  
  
"Awwwww, shove it!" Chris yelled with a huge smile on his face. "I'm gonna be a dad and all you people can say is awwwwwww?"  
  
"You're gonna be a dad?" Akila asked in disbelief.  
  
"I didn't think that it was physically possible, coming from you and all." Rockie said. Everyone got a big laugh out of that.  
  
"Yeah, ha, ha, laugh all you want. This kid could be the next president of the United States." Chris said in his own defense.  
  
"God help us all." Skittle muttered. JB smiled. Shawn, Jeff and Rock all walked up to join in on the conversation.  
  
"Did I just hear the King of Bling-Bling say that he is going to be a proud poppa?" Shawn asked, walking up behind Chris, slapping him on the shoulder.  
  
"You did, got a problem with that?" Chris asked. Lizzie was watching all of this with pride. This would make for an interesting story to tell their child.  
  
"No problem at all, only it seems like myself and JB will have to be uh....working a little harder to catch up with you two." JB blushed horribly at this comment.  
  
"You just keep your mouth shut!!" She yelled at him, cheeks a rosy red color. Rock looked at Rockie and just gave her the hip toss thing that everyone knows goes with "strudel". As for Jeff....Well, poor Jeff didn't know what to do.  
  
"Well, Jeff, got anything to say to me?" Akila asked him suggestively.  
  
"Why would he have anything to say to you?" Skittle demanded.  
  
"Because he's MY boyfriend!! Why else?" The rest of the XA/Nites shook their heads as Akila and Skittle began to scream at each other...AGAIN.....  
  
**  
  
**  
  
"So, Shawn, when is Rebecca due?" Chris asked. He, Randy and Shawn were all sitting out in Shawn's backyard, simply talking and wasting the night away.  
  
"About three more months, I think." Shawn said. He smiled as he thought about it. Chris simply nodded his head. He had a headache again. He wished that it would go away. This headache was the worst one he'd had in a while.  
  
"So, what do you think about being a dad again? Are you excited?" Randy asked him, not looking away from Chris for a moment.  
  
"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it." Shawn said, following Randy's gaze. They both watched as Chris massaged his temples and squeezed his eyes shut.  
  
"You all right Chris?" Shawn asked him.  
  
"Yeah, I just.....Just.....have a really bad headache...." Chris said forcefully. Shawn and Randy exchanged a look.  
  
"Want some Tylenol or something?"  
  
"Nah, I'll...I'll....be all right, just give me....a..minute." Chris said again. He stopped massaging his temples and buried his head in his hands.  
  
"Get the cam recorder." Shawn told Randy. Randy ran into the house and returned a few moments later, a video cam recorder in his hand. He recorded as they watched Chris move from his desperate-looking position to a more calculated, buff position.  
  
"It's almost time to strike. They're not gonna even know what hit them. You're a genius Hunter. Heh..I know I am. This is a foolproof plan. None of them will survive this one, because I am that damn good. Hell, I'm the Game......" Chris said, then returned to his normal posture.  
  
"Did you get that?" Shawn whispered to Randy, standing behind him. Randy nodded. They both watched as Chris slowly raised his head, and resumed massaging his temples.  
  
"God, I hate headaches....." Chris said. He winced. Shawn stood up, and walked over to Chris' chair.  
  
"Do you want to try and go inside for a little bit? Maybe it has something to do with your sinuses?" Shawn suggested to him. Chris nodded and slowly stood up to follow Shawn and Randy into the house.  
  
*  
  
Later that night, when Rebecca, Cameron and Liz all went out to do something, Shawn and Randy brought Chris into the living room.  
  
"Chris, we think that we know what the deal with your headaches is." Randy started. Shawn plopped down in a chair, while Chris sat on the couch.  
  
"Well, spit it out, I want these stupid things to stop!" Chris said. Randy nodded.  
  
"When you had your really bad headache today, Shawn and I decided to record what happened, because most of the time you either have no recollection of ever doing this, or you think we're crazy for even suggesting it." Randy said.  
  
"Basically, it's one of those 'you have to see it to believe it' kind of things." Shawn said. Chris nodded, and Randy popped in the tape. Chris watched as he saw his posture go from a painful look to a strengthened look. He watched as he spoke like Hunter and seemed to reveal his thoughts. The segment of course wasn't very long. Chris didn't know what to think. The room remained in silence for a few moments.  
  
"How long have I been doing this?" Chris asked them. Randy and Shawn exchanged a glance.  
  
"Ever since you woke up from your coma." Shawn told him. Chris lowered his head.  
  
"Great....Does Liz know anything about this?" He asked them. Shawn shook his head.  
  
"We hid it from her just as much as we did from you." Randy said. Chris nodded.  
  
"Good call, I don't want to worry her. Seems to me, the only way that we're going to find Hunter before he finds us is for me to sleep as much as possible." Chris told them, Shawn and Randy both nodded in agreement. "Have you got any sleeping pills left, Shawn?"  
  
"No way, Chris. Don't even think about it. You are not going to drug yourself to sleep!"  
  
"How the hell else do we expect to find him?! He's out there, Shawn. He's out there and he is planning to get us. I'm the only one who knows where he's going apparently, and the only way for me to get the answers is to sleep, so give me the damn pills!!" Chris yelled. Shawn sighed and looked at him.  
  
"What if the drug retards the reaction you have when you're sleeping?" Shawn asked him. Chris shrugged.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Then, we are not going to use sleeping pills, until we have no other choice. We're going to have to think of another plan." Shawn said as Rebecca re-entered the house, looking shaken up.  
  
**  
  
Please review!!! Check out Lost in the Shadows please!!!!! 


	64. Hit Me

Disclaimer: Once again, I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: Well, hello faithful reviewers!!! Sorry about lack of updates. School is evil and homework is Satan. Anyhow, today I update!!!!!!! Bwahahahhahahhaha...**ahem** OK, I have more news for those faithful Jerichoholics out there!!  
  
Chris Jericho's son, named Ash Edward Irvine, was born on Wednesday, September 24th, 2003. He weighed in at 8lbs. 9oz and was 22 inches long!! They are supposed to post a picture up soon on the Fozzy website. (www.fozzyrock.com) Look in the forums section for the whole scoop!!! Congrats to Y2J and his wife!!!! Welcome to the world Ash!!  
  
XA/N: I absolutely HATE to do this, but because I am kind of pressed for time, I'm going to have to skip this today guys......I promise, swear to God that I will have a looooonnnnnggg XA/N in my next update. (Who knows when that will be though....)  
  
Please forgive me for skipping this today.  
  
**  
  
**  
  
"Becky, hon, what's wrong?" Shawn asked standing up to walk over to his wife. She made no move to reply to him. She simply stood frozen at the door. Chris and Randy turned around in their seats to see what was going on. Rebecca's face was a pale as a white sheet.  
  
"Becky, answer me please?" Shawn asked, taking her face in his hands. Horror began to creep into Chris' system.  
  
Liz.  
  
"What happened Rebecca, was it Liz?" Chris asked standing up. Rebecca moved her eyes from Shawn's face to him and she nodded shakily.  
  
"Cameron too?" Shawn asked. Rebecca nodded again. Randy stood up. He and Chris exchanged a glance.  
  
"Was it a car wreck, did you get separated.....?" Shawn started  
  
"Was it Hunter?" Chris asked simply. Rebecca began to shake and she nodded again. Tears welled up in her eyes and began to roll down her face. Chris let his head hang down towards the ground.  
  
"Shit....I knew it." He muttered. Shawn helped Rebecca over to a chair and they tried to get what had happened out of her, but she was in so much shock, she couldn't really even think straight.  
  
Chris paced in the hallway as he waited for Shawn to stop asking her questions about what had happened and figure out what they were going to do about it.  
  
"We've got to do something. We have to." Chris muttered as he paced in front of the couch, which Randy was now sitting on.  
  
"What are we going to do? We don't know what Hunter's going to do or where he's taking them!!!! We don't even know what the hell happened!!" Randy yelled. Chris stopped pacing.  
  
"Yes we do." He said simply. Randy realized what he was saying.  
  
"Oh no you don't. You agreed not to use the pills until we absolutely had no choice, remember?"  
  
"I know what I promised Randy." Chris said. Then he emerged himself in thought. Randy shook his head.  
  
"There is no way this is going to work, you can't make it happen. Hell, you didn't even know you were doing it until we taped it and showed that to you a while ago!!!" Randy told him.  
  
"Hit me." Chris said, standing in front of him.  
  
"What? No, I'm not gonna hit you."  
  
"Hit me." Chris repeated. Randy shook his head.  
  
"Dammit Randy, I'm the only hope we have!!!! Now, knock me out you freaking pussy!!!" Chris shouted at him. Randy stood up.  
  
"Shut up Chris, I'm not going to hit you."  
  
"Do it, do it come on, I dare you!!! I DARE you to hit me so hard you knock me out!!!" Chris yelled at him. He shoved Randy on each word to try and egg him on.  
  
"Chris just drop---"  
  
"HIT ME!!!" Chris screamed at him. Randy slugged him in the right temple with a punch, and Chris went backwards and right through the glass coffee table.  
  
And he got what he wanted.  
  
He was unconscious.  
  
"What the hell happened?" Shawn asked, running into the living room.  
  
"Sorry about your table, Shawn." Randy said, shaking his fist.  
  
"What did you do to him?"  
  
"He kept screaming for me to hit him. He wanted to try and----"  
  
"Tap into Hunter." Shawn finished for him. "Perfect, that's just what we need right now. We don't even know if it will work while he's unconscious, and here he goes trying to get it to----"  
  
"Shut up you stupid bitch!!!! Keep him quiet too. I'm starting to get a headache." Chris' voice came from beside the broken coffee table.  
  
"Oh no. Keep track of what he says, I'll be right back!!" Shawn yelled, taking off for the bedroom.  
  
**  
  
Please REVIEW!!! 


	65. Deception

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N!!  
  
A/N: Well, theoretically, I SHOULD be studying for a US History test coming up tomorrow....but there are twenty-four usable hours in everyday, am I right? First off, I want to give a hug to all of my reviewers a.k.a. my "peeps". Thanks for saying what you think!! This story would not have gone this far without you guys, so thank you. As promised, XA/N will be back, as far as it being long....dunno. We'll see.  
  
XA/N: Mk....I believe we are still in a cornfield, if my memory serves me correctly...  
  
"You know what?" Chris asked out of nowhere as the XA/Nites walked all in a line to try and find the highway again.  
  
"What?" Lizzie asked him.  
  
"Farmers have too much time on their hands."  
  
"How do you figure?" Rockie asked him.  
  
"They have to plant every single seed that makes one of these corn stalks." He told her.  
  
"They don't do that alone, dumbass." Akila shouted up to him from the back of the line.  
  
"Don't call him a dumbass. He's just an ignoramus." Skittle shouted to Akila.  
  
"I'll call him what ever the hell I want to call him!! By the way, get your arm off of my Jeffery!!" Akila said, her voice getting slowly louder. Everyone else but those two brought out a pair of headphones.  
  
"Here we go again." Rockie muttered. JB shook her head.  
  
"You'd think that by now, I would have written in that we found some duct tape and taped their mouths shut." JB said to Shawn.  
  
"Well why don't you?" JB paused.  
  
"It's so damn entertaining to make them fight all the time!!" she told him.  
  
"I think somebody needs a new hobby." Chris said. Skittle went flying past him, followed closely by Akila after that comment.  
  
"I second that opinion." Rockie muttered as the group kept walking.  
  
Soon enough they came across a small town.  
  
"Hmmm....doesn't that name just make you feel all warm and tingly inside..." Shawn said. Rock shook his head.  
  
"Welcome to Desperation, population 341." Chris read.  
  
"Huge town." Jeff muttered.  
  
"You know, I swear I've heard that name before somewhere, I simply can't place it..." JB muttered.  
  
"Well, who's up for it?" Lizzie asked. Everyone shouted "me", so we slowly started walking into the little town of Desperation.  
  
**  
  
BTW, Desperation is a book. I'm not going to tell who it's by though, or that would spoil all the fun!!!  
  
**  
  
Shawn and Randy lifted Chris up onto the couch, which was not the easiest task in the world to be doing. He was thrashing around while they were trying to hold him.  
  
"Payback will be served....I will get my revenge!!!" Chris screamed over and over and over.  
  
"I got it, I got it, shut up, you broken record." Randy muttered. He and Shawn heaved Chris on the couch, where he simply kept saying that. Shawn sat down in the armchair and rested his head in his hands.  
  
"What a mess. What a freaking mess." He muttered to himself. Randy tapped Crhis on the jaw, and he started to say different things again.  
  
"Where the hell is the duct tape, I knew that I had it here.....shepherdess makes quite a mess, but little lambs are lovely." Chris said.  
  
"Are you sure that you didn't give him a concussion? Or maybe it's just that Hunter is crazy?" Shawn asked Randy. Randy shrugged.  
  
"360 Moore Drive. Here we are kiddies!!! Home sweet home!!!" Chris shouted.  
  
"The address, we just got the freaking address!!!!!" Shawn shouted. Randy scribbled it down. Shawn was about to wake Chris up when he began to say something very interesting.  
  
"Wonder if Shawn's falling for the old 'ooh Shawny save me' gig. I kinda feel sorry for the poor bastard since his wife is a liar and a cheater. I mean, come on, did he REALLY think that kid was his? Ah....she's gonna be playing him for weeks. That means I'm gonna have lots of fun with this one....." Chris said. Shawn's jaw had been dropped. He turned to look down the hallway and saw Rebecca standing there with her hand over her mouth.  
  
"Is it true?" he asked her, his rage slowly swimming to the surface. Tears came to her eyes. She blinked them away and took her hand away from her mouth. She put on a face of stone.  
  
"Yes, it is true." Shawn turned away from her. Randy was shaking Chris, to try and wake him up. This was a very awkward situation to be in without someone else.  
  
"Get out." Shawn said quietly.  
  
"What are you talking about? I am your wife you can't-"  
  
"Rebecca, the moment you slept with him you voided our marriage. You broke faith and trust again. Don't make me say this again. GET OUT." Shawn said firmly without looking at her.  
  
"Shawn you can't be serious-"  
  
"GET OUT OF THIS HOUSE RIGHT NOW!!!" Shawn bellowed, standing up and facing Rebecca. Rebecca stared at him for a few minutes, then shook her head.  
  
"You haven't seen the last of this."  
  
"I'm sure that I haven't." Shawn muttered. Rebecca walked out and slammed the door behind her. Chris woke up as soon as the door slammed.  
  
"Did we...uh....did we get the address?" He asked, rubbing his head and weighing out his words.  
  
"Yeah, we got that all right." Randy said. Chris looked over at Shawn who was standing in front of the fireplace.  
  
"Shawn?"  
  
"Don't ask him now, Chris. I'll tell you what happened." Randy said.  
  
Shawn was staring at his wedding ring when Chris began to talk to him. When Randy began to explain what had happened, Shawn took off his ring and threw it into the fireplace.  
  
**  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!! & PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CHECK OUT LOST IN THE SHADOWS!!!!!!!!! 


	66. Disgrace

Disclaimer: Only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: Well, kiddies I'm back again. Would have updated on Tues. and Wed., but I had to cram for tests, which I have two more of tomorrow. If the whole Desperation book thingy is bothering you, let me know, and I will tell you who the author is next chapter. (You definitely need to check it out.) 266 Reviews!!! Thank you guys so much!!! I wouldn't have gone this far without you guys by my side.  
  
XA/N: We came into Desperation......  
  
"Town looks asleep to me." Rock said as all the XA/Nites walked in the middle of the street. Cars were parked on the sides of the road near stores, but there was no one in the stores to be seen, no lights on or anything.  
  
It was as if no one had been there for a very long time.  
  
"I think that the down looks dead." Jericho said.  
  
"Or desperately in need of help." Jeff commented.  
  
"Ha. Ha." Akila muttered. All of them filed into a building and sat down.  
  
"Now what do you propose we do?" Rockie asked everyone.  
  
"Call the cops." Lizzie suggested. Shawn walked over to the phone, and picked it up.  
  
"Nothing. The phone's dead." He informed them.  
  
"Peachy, now what?" JB said. No one really knew where to go from there. The town was deserted, that was a fact. No one liked the way that the cars were all still parked out in the street, like the people living here had just been doing their daily routine when something happened and killed them all.  
  
It was eerie being there.  
  
"I don't like being here. I say we take a car and get the hell out of here." Skittle said. Everyone agreed with the idea, but they wanted to check the police station, just in case someone might still be there.  
  
They set out on the road again, and came up to the police station in a matter of minutes.  
  
"Hello? Anybody home?" Chris yelled into the building.  
  
"Ollie, Ollie Oxen free!" Rock yelled in Jeff's ear. There was no response to either of the yells.  
  
"I say we get the hell out of here now." Shawn said quietly. Everyone nodded. A sudden feeling had run through them that was very disturbing.  
  
Skittle was in the far back. She was slowly walking back like everyone else, when she bumped into someone.  
  
A very large someone.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" A deep voice asked them. "The party's just getting started!"  
  
**  
  
**  
  
Chris, Shawn and Randy were all piled into Chris' Mustang. They were headed to the address that Hunter/Chris had told them. The car ride was an uncomfortable one, considering Shawn was completely mute for the whole ride. He'd been that way since Rebecca had left. Chris and Randy made small talk, but no real conversation occurred.  
  
The address turned out to be an airplane hangar, about three miles out of San Antonio. It was an old airplane hangar, probably had been out of use for about thirty years by this time. They all filed out of the car.  
  
"Hope that this is the right place." Chris muttered. He closed the car door and locked it. He knew that going into this building was suicide without any weapons, but they had no other choice. Shawn had his jaw set, and he took the lead. Chris and Randy walked side-by-side behind him.  
  
They reached the door and realized with horror that you needed to know the code to get in.  
  
"Damn," Shawn muttered. He looked up in the top corner of the door and noticed the camera. He knew Hunter was watching him through that lens. He knew what he had done to Rebecca, how he had corrupted her. Shawn didn't even want to think about what he was doing to Liz right now.  
  
Chris brushed Shawn aside and started to kick at the door. Randy stepped in to help, but they both knew that it was useless. That door wasn't going anywhere.  
  
"Turn around slowly, and put your hands in the air." A man's voice came from behind them. All three of them silently threw curses at whomever was behind them, and slowly turned as instructed.  
  
Batista, Flair, and Rebecca were all standing there, aiming semi-automatics at their heads. God only knew how they had busted Ric out, or gotten the weapons, but here they were.  
  
"So, Shawn, aren't you a little curious how you got to this place so quickly?" Batista asked.  
  
"No, I'm not."  
  
"Maybe you should be." Flair said.  
  
"Why? I have no reason to-" Shawn cut himself off. He looked at Chris. Chris was staring at Randy.  
  
Randy now had a gun pointed at them, too.  
  
Shawn bit down on his tongue. He heard Chris mutter a few inaudible cuss words.  
  
"Well done, Randy, now get back over here." Batista said. Rebecca smiled and sneered at the two men left standing by the door.  
  
"You knew our every move. You knew everything....you knew we were coming." Shawn said. Chris just glared at all of them.  
  
"The beauty of all of it. It makes everything so much easier, don't you think?" Flair taunted them.  
  
"So much easier it's as easy as me saying 'Go To Hell'." Chris said. They both realized there was no way out. They were either going to die here, or become prisoners.  
  
"'Cuff 'em Randy." Rebecca said, holding out two pairs of handcuffs. Randy grabbed them and stuck his gun in the waistband of his pants.  
  
"Are you the little slave, Randy?" Chris asked as Randy handcuffed Shawn's hands together behind his back.  
  
"Not going to work, Chris."  
  
"It won't? Are you sure? You seem pretty damn gullible from where I'm standing." Chris said. Randy walked away from Shawn, and punched Chris in the face. Shawn was powerless to stop it, what was he going to do? Bruise Randy's ass from kicking it too much?  
  
Randy quickly handcuffed Chris. Batista, Flair, and Rebecca all walked over once the two were secured.  
  
"Now, you will be able to enter. We'll show you straight to the people you want to see, but first....." Batista trailed off, and shot the both in the chest with a tranquilizer dart. Both passed out quickly and slumped to the ground in front of them. "You need to sleep. Night boys!!"  
  
They picked up Chris and Shawn, punched in the code, and entered the hangar where Hunter was waiting......  
  
**  
  
PLEASE REVIEW AND CHECK OUT LOST IN THE SHADOWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	67. What I'm Going to Do to You

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N!!  
  
A/N: Sorry about the lack of updates. Time has been kind of cramped and I really haven't been in the mood to update lately....Anyhow, 271 Reviews!!! Thanks so much, girls (and guys, if there are any)!!!! Hey everyone, Akila knows who wrote Desperation!!! I'll give you a hint. He is also Chris Jericho's (and mine, too, I wouldn't have based it on a book I hated) favorite author.  
  
XA/N: So, Skittle bumped into a big guy....  
  
"What party? The town looks dead.." Shawn commented. All of the XA/N noticed the badge on the strange man's chest.  
  
This man was the sheriff of Desperation.  
  
"The jail party." The man said. "And you're all invited. You're all under arrest."  
  
"But, officer, what did we do wrong?" Lizzie asked.  
  
"But, officer, what did we do wrong?" The sheriff mocked her. He leaned down and got right in her face. "You TRESPASSED."  
  
"Trespassed on WHAT?" Chris asked. The officer jerked a thumb over his back and everyone finally noticed the 'no trespassing' sign on the fence in front of the building.  
  
"That's a bunch of bull shit!!" Rockie yelled. "The sign is barely visible from here!!"  
  
"Yeah!! If whoever lives here didn't want people to trespass, they should have picked a better spot for their...sign...." Akila drifted off. As she had been talking, the weeds and overgrowth around the sign disappeared. The officer raised his eyebrow at her.  
  
"You were saying?" he asked. Akila shook her head. The sheriff made them all walk in front of him to the station, which, thankfully, was only a block down from where they were.  
  
Once they got inside, he locked them all in cells. Two or three at most to a cell. Everyone grumbled about it, of course, who wouldn't?  
  
"I'll be back right after I place this call." He said. He left the room, and the XA/N all began to plan their escape.  
  
"Where the hell did he come from?" Skittle asked.  
  
"I KNOW that that sign had crap in front of it, obscuring it from view." Akila insisted. "I KNOW it!!!!"  
  
All the while, JB was staring at where the man had last stood. Lizzie had noticed it, too.  
  
There were blood drops like a trail all on the floor where the sheriff had walked.  
  
**  
  
**  
  
When Shawn woke up, he quickly discovered that he was tied down to a chair. As his mind began to clear away the fog in it, he realized that he was outside of the building that Chris, Randy, and himself had been standing outside of.  
  
Then Shawn remembered what had happened.  
  
Shawn looked around the room he was in, and noticed that he was under a single light. The rest of the room was extremely dark. Shawn managed to make out a crumpled form on the floor. He squinted to see who it was. He struggled against the bonds that were holding him to the chair, but he still couldn't figure out who it was.  
  
Not far off, a door opened, shedding a little more light into the room. Enough light so that Shawn was able to distinguish who the body on the floor was.  
  
It was Cameron.  
  
Shawn's breath caught in his throat as the person who had opened the door entered the room. Cameron. What the hell had they done to him? WHY had they done that to him? Was he even still alive? Shawn closed his eyes tight at that thought. He shoved it out of his mind. Cameron was alive. He was.  
  
Was, is a past tense, though, Shawn reminded himself.  
  
The person who entered the room finally stepped into the light, and their face was known to Shawn.  
  
"Long time, no see, right, Shawn?"  
  
"You ought to know, you betrayed us, Randy. Time is everything to a person like that." Shawn said. Suddenly, Shawn wanted to know how Chris was doing-if he was even alive.  
  
"It should be to others, but not to me, Shawn. Time was merely another four letter word to me." Shawn bit his tongue. He weighed his response for a moment.  
  
"Is my son alive or not?" He asked Randy straight up. Randy turned to look at Cameron.  
  
"Doesn't look too good, does he?" Randy asked Shawn. "Yes, Cameron is still alive. Barely." Shawn tried to shoot up out of his chair, but obviously, he was still tied down.  
  
"What the hell did you do to him, you son of a bitch!!!" Shawn screamed. Randy leaned down and got right in Shawn's face.  
  
"The same thing that I'm going to do to you." He said.  
  
**  
  
CHECK OUT LOST IN THE SHADOWS, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!!!!!! 


	68. Dive Right In

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N!!!  
  
A/N: Well, I am a lazy person, but it seems like only one person really cares....hmmmmm....Ah well. Maybe we'll get some more reviews this chapter!!! By the way, I found this life-size cardboard cut-out of Y2J on ebay, but lost it!!! GRRRRRRRRR!!! I was so upset!!! Ok, now, here is XA/N:  
  
XA/N: "JB...." Shawn said, waving a hand in front of her face. JB snapped back to reality. She looked over at Lizzie. Lizzie looked up at her.  
  
"Is out little cop buddy sick?" Chris asked hopefully, seeing the blood on the floor. Shawn, and everyone else noticed it now, as well.  
  
"Shit.." Rockie said. Everyone exchanged glances.  
  
"Either he's sick, or somebody else is in really bad shape." Akila said. Everyone backed away from the bars, into the corners of their cells as they heard the sheriff coming back. He walked back into the room, and blood was dripping out of the corner of his mouth. Everyone exchanged glances again.  
  
Whatever this cop guy had, it definitely wasn't good.  
  
The thing was, was the cop going to pass it to all of them?  
  
Or, had it already?  
  
**  
  
Sorry it was so short, I'm getting short on ideas. (OK, so I really have tons of them swimming around, but none make sense with what I got going on here, and some will be incorporated into the sequel to Drop to Zero. YES!! It has been started. I only have one chapter planned out, so far, so don't get your hopes up, yet. Expect the debut of that to be around Christmas or beginning 2004!!!)  
  
BTW, the song in this chapter is "Dive Right In" by Story of the Year From their newest album, 'Page Avenue'.  
  
**  
  
//So here I go  
  
I'll dive right in//  
  
Shawn glared at Randy, meeting his fierce gaze. Every ounce of hate that he could muster was being directed towards him. Whatever was left would be saved for Hunter. And Shawn was sure that there would be plenty left over for Hunter.  
  
//Break through the waves,  
  
Straight to the ocean floor//  
  
"Where's Chris?" Shawn asked him. Randy backed off and began to laugh.  
  
"Chris, huh?" Randy sneered. "You're still concerned about that worthless has-been piece of crap? You need a life, Shawn."  
  
"Well, you need to figure out what the word loyalty means." Shawn yelled at him. For an instant, Randy's eye flickered something, but the flicker was soon gone.  
  
//And although my hands are shaking,  
  
I lie perfectly still//  
  
"You want to know how Chris is doing? Fine. Here you go." Randy said, moving a monitor that was on a cart in the corner of the room in front of Shawn. The monitor was apparently hooked up to a security camera in the room where Chris was being held. His head was down against his chest, which was covered in blood. There was a little movement that was noticeable, but Shawn could tell that he was alive.  
  
//Cause I'm determined to let myself sink down//  
  
Barely.  
  
//And I know  
  
I'm buried too far down//  
  
"So Shawn, are you satisfied, yet?" Randy asked him.  
  
"No. Show me Liz." Shawn said, still staring at Chris. Randy shook his head. He flipped a switch on the back of the monitor, and the view changed to a different room. It was hardly noticeable with the view that the camera had, but you could make out the outline of a person in the very back corner. She was huddled up in a fetal position.  
  
//To feel  
  
The warmth from the sun again//  
  
"What did you do to her?" Shawn demanded. Randy rolled his eyes at him.  
  
//I could wave my arms,  
  
And swim away//  
  
"Shawn, seriously. You need to use your imagination a little more." Randy said. Shawn's eyes darkened.  
  
//But never reach the shore//  
  
"Chris is gonna kill you, you know that right?" Shawn said. Randy laughed.  
  
//For now, I will lay  
  
Face first in the sand//  
  
"At the state he's in, I seriously doubt he'd be able to do anything other than lean on me. Or maybe crawl on his hands and knees in front of me." Randy scoffed.  
  
//With the wreckage  
  
From ships that lost their way//  
  
"You're going to get yours one day, Randy Orton. And that day is going to be very, very soon. I swear it on my life, and the lives of those you have here that you will." Shawn said. Randy smiled at him. He hooked Shawn up to a machine that measured his brain waves.  
  
//And I know  
  
I'm buried too far down//  
  
"Here's how this is going to work, Shawn. I ask you a question, and you answer it. Now, I've already gotten the answers to these questions from Chris, Liz, and yes..even Cori's confessions." Shawn felt rage build higher and higher as Randy kept talking. "You answer the right way, you don't get hurt. Answer the wrong way," Randy said, pushing a button, sending shocks through Shawn's brain and on down through his body. Shawn bit down to keep from screaming. "And that will happen. Got it?" Randy released the button and the waves stopped.  
  
//To feel  
  
The warmth from the sun again//  
  
Shawn nodded. This was going to be a very long day.  
  
//And I know  
  
I'm buried too far down//  
  
Chris stared at his chest for what he thought had been hours, but knew that realistically had been only a few minutes. He raised his eyes a little when he heard some screaming.  
  
//To feel  
  
The warmth from the sun again//  
  
Chris knew that it was Shawn. He took a deep breath and lifted his head from his chest. He was so tired. He just wished that they would either let them go, and leave them alone, or kill them. When he tried to think about what had started this whole big mess in the first place, he simply got confused and gave up. One thing had simply lead to another.  
  
//And although my hands are shaking,  
  
I lie perfectly still//  
  
Chris stared at the door. Nothing was moving, and the door didn't budge. Chris could almost feel his pupils dilating.  
  
//Cause I'm determined to let myself sink down//  
  
The room was getting colder and brighter.  
  
//And I know  
  
I'm buried too far down//  
  
He didn't know why the room was suddenly changing the way that it was, but it was definitely changing.  
  
//To feel  
  
The warmth from the sun again//  
  
"Now what?" he thought. The door began to slide open.  
  
//And I know  
  
I'm buried too far down//  
  
A figure was standing in the doorway in front of him. He looked away for a moment.  
  
//To feel  
  
The warmth from the sun again//  
  
When he looked back, he couldn't believe what he saw.  
  
** 


	69. Old Acquanitances

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N!!  
  
A/N: OK, I hope I didn't offend anyone with what I said in the last A/N. It was not meant to be offensive. I was just saying I was kind of disappointed that only one person had reviewed the chapter. People have other things to do in their lives than read and review stories, I understand. I was just kind of sad. All right, enough of that we now have 274 REVIEWS!!!!!!!!!! That is a crapload of reviews, and I LOVE it!!!! Thank you all sooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!  
  
XA/N: (This will most likely be short, so don't kill me!!! Someone please suggest something!!!!!!!)  
  
The cop looked around at all of them, then made his way to the door.  
  
"Ya'll stay right there...I'll be back soon enough." The cop said. Everyone exchanged glances. As soon as the door closed, everyone began talking.  
  
"How in the hell are we gonna get out of here?" Jericho asked, clearly pissed and afraid at the same time. Lizzie walked over to him and he wrapped an arm around her. Whether it was more to comfort himself than her....well...we'll never know.  
  
"Not sure, but we need to figure out something." Rockie said, looking at the door. "And fast."  
  
"Oh, Oh!!! I know, I know!!!!" Skittle said, screaming and jumping up and down.  
  
"Well, shut up and tell us, then!!!" Akila said, slapping Skittle on the head.  
  
"I could squeeze through the bars and get the keys and unlock all of the doors!!!!!!" Skittle said. Everyone looked at her.  
  
"Okay, two things. One, you wouldn't fit through those bars. Two, even if you could, he took the keys with him." Jericho pointed out.  
  
"That's a good point." Shawn agreed.  
  
"I bet I have the best idea!!!" Akila said suddenly. "Let's just get JB to write us into new scenery!" Everyone muttered their approval of the idea. They all looked at JB, who merely shrugged and had virtually no choice, but to follow what they wanted.  
  
So, instead of being locked in a jail cell in a crappy remake of a Stephen King novel, we, the XA/Nites, now find ourselves surrounded by trees, starting off a new portion of the XA/N piece of pie.  
  
But, something is lurking in those trees that even JB doesn't suspect.  
  
No one would expect it.  
  
No one except one individual.  
  
And he's not telling.........  
  
**  
  
OK, dumb, but there. The Desperation storyline wasn't doing much for me. So I did what all writers for the WWE do. I dropped without a real good reason. Didn't even think of a resolution.....Ah well. Onto the REAL story, now!!!!!!!!  
  
**  
  
Chris' jaw dropped when he saw who was standing in the doorway in front of him. He couldn't believe it. He tried to form the name, but nothing would come out.  
  
"Don't look so surprised, Chris." A female's voice said. Chris tried to speak. He tried to force some kind of reaction up out of him, but he could find nothing to feel, other than mistrust and betrayal for some odd reason.  
  
"Come on Chris. I thought that you were smarter than that. Well, then again, you did try to date me, Hunter's baby sister. That wasn't exactly the brightest thing in the world, now was it?" Adriana said. "You think that I came back from the dead, but you're just way too gullible Chris. WAY too gullible. First with me, second with Randy..."  
  
"You were alive, all this time?" Chris asked in disbelief. "You tricked me?" Adriana closed the door again. She walked over to Chris and sat in his lap, well aware that he couldn't move to avoid her, or comfort her.  
  
"Hunter sent me in here to kind of...spice things up a little. I bet you're wondering how your new toy is doing." Adriana teased him. She got up and went to grab the cart with monitors of it. She wheeled it in front of him, and popped in a video. The blue screens went to black, and then showed Liz, being tortured, much like he had been not more than half an hour ago. Adriana turned up the volume.  
  
"Do you really love Chris?" Hunter was asking her.  
  
"YES!!!!! I've told you a thousand times, why won't you believe me?!?!?!????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Liz screamed.  
  
"Because you're LYING!!!!!!" Hunter yelled in her face, while pressing what Chris called the "brain buster" button.  
  
"I am NOT LYING!!!!!"  
  
"You are so!!!!!! You're in love with SHAWN!!!!!!!!!!" Hunter yelled. Liz looked like she had been slapped in the face.  
  
"We're only-" She started to insist, but the "brain buster" stopped her short.  
  
"Only madly in love with each other!!!!!!!! You lie to Chris, and you lie to yourself," Hunter said, getting right in her face. "But, you will not lie to ME!!!!!"  
  
"Fine!!!! I do have feelings for him!!!!!" Liz shouted. The tape stopped.  
  
"So, Chris, what do you think of your precious 'angel' now?" Adriana asked him while wheeling the cart back into the corner.  
  
"I think that you're a load of bullshit, just like your older brother." Chris said. In his mind he was questioning whether or not that interrogation had taken place.  
  
He was also, sadly, questioning his faith in love.  
  
"Chris, I know you. I know you better than anyone else here."  
  
"You're wrong. You knew me. I've changed." Chris said.  
  
"Really? How have you changed then, Chrissy, dearest?" Adriana said, sitting on his lap again, batting her eyelashes. He gave her a cold stare.  
  
"I don't love you anymore." He said frankly. "If you're here to try and make me love you again, you're wasting your time. Because until I hear those words you claim Liz said to my face, I won't believe them."  
  
"You might want to change your mind about that," A new voice said from behind.  
  
**  
  
REVIEW, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CHECK OUT LOST IN THE SHADOWS (as always) AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR XA/N, LET ME KNOW IN THE REVIEW OR SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	70. Hunches

Disclaimer: I only own XA/N.  
  
A/N: Ah....After a period of absence, I finally return!!!!! Bwahahahahah!!!!!! All right, here's what going on. School sucks ass, and homework is the true bitch. Fozzy has a new CD coming out in the Spring of 2004!!!!! According to Y2J himself, they have finished recording at least one of the songs. This CD is supposed to have 100% original Fozzy material. No covers this time!!!! If you guys want to check it out, go to www.fozzyrock.com For this chapter, I hope you don't mind if I skip XA/N. Time restrains me, as always. Forgive me? Hope you enjoy the chapter anyways.  
  
**  
  
Chris turned his head to see who had entered the room. Standing in the doorway was none other than Hunter. He was supporting two other people, as well.  
  
Shawn and Liz.  
  
Hunter entered the room, and let both Shawn and Liz fall to the floor. A few moments later, Randy entered, carrying Cameron. The little boy was laid down next to his father. Hunter stepped over the weak and unconscious bodies that were lying on the floor and stood next to Chris.  
  
"Thinking about changing your mind about what was said, Chris?" Hunter sneered. Adriana stood up and smirked. She walked over to Randy and linked arms with him. Chris slowly raised his gaze to Hunter.  
  
"Why should I reconsider something like this, Hunter? How do you know that Liz didn't simply tell you that to get you to stop torturing her, which I assume you did?" Chris said. Hunter's face fell slightly. He turned from Chris and nodded at Randy. Randy looked puzzled.  
  
"Wake her up, Randy." Hunter said lowly. Randy nodded and gave Hunter a look, which went unnoticed by everyone in the room.  
  
Everyone except for Chris.  
  
Chris watched intently as Randy attempted to wake up Liz. He wanted to see Randy's face. He had to look in his eyes. He had to see if his hunch was correct. Randy finally got Liz to wake up. He helped her stand, and deadlocked eyes with Chris. Chris had to bite his lip to keep from smirking. Chris turned to look at Hunter. Adriana noticed him trying not to smile.  
  
"What's so funny, Chris?" She snapped. Hunter turned to face Chris again. Chris couldn't help it. He was grinning from ear to ear.  
  
"What's making you smile, Chris? Is it my devilishly good looks?" Hunter laughed at his own joke. Chris kept smiling.  
  
"No. It's your amazing stupidity. It always seems to surprise me. Just when I think that you couldn't get any dumber-you go and do something like this." Chris paused and his smile grew. "And set the new lowest intelligence level for the world." Hunter glared at him.  
  
"Did it ever occur to you, Hunter, that your own people could be working against you? That perhaps they are working for me? For the police, maybe? Has that thought ever entered into your head?" Chris asked him.  
  
"Shut up Chris...shut up..." Randy was thinking to himself.  
  
"No, Chris, it hasn't. But, since you've put it there-" Hunter said, pulling out his gun. "Maybe I should just eliminate the problems all together? But, that would be exactly what you want, wouldn't it? That would be exactly what you want me to do. Nice try, Chris, but you'll have to do better than that to get to me."  
  
"How good does he have to get then?" Shawn asked hoarsely, slowly sitting up.  
  
**  
  
That's all for now, Check out Lost in the Shadows, give this puppy a nice little doggy treat by reviewing, and FYI, the Drop to Zero sequel, now has a name, but has regressed a little in ideas. It will be entitled "Someday" like the song by Nickelback. Right now, the first chapter is giving me crap. Once I get past the first few chapters we will be doing okay. All right, please review!!! 


	71. Flames

Disclaimer: Well, I only own XA/N, if I owned more, you'd know it...  
  
A/N: I am back yet again! My new story is giving me a seriously hard time, and since school prevents me from working on for more than 2 seconds at a time, it's hard to get anything done. As soon as I get a substantial amount written, you'll know. My posting date for the story might end up getting shoved back a bit, if I don't start getting my act together. Once again, I'm going to have to ask your forgiveness. I'm going to skip XA/N again. I could give you a list of the reasons why, but I'll sum it up when I say the word "ideas". I'm running out of them for XA/N. That, and I don't feel like spending 3 hours at a computer when I usually only need 2. So, there you go. When I get rolling on that again, I promise you, it will be a blast. Until then......  
  
**  
  
//Don't tell me what to think  
  
Cause I don't care this time//  
  
Hunter looked over at Shawn and smirked. This was going to be very interesting.  
  
"Shawn, you are so naïve. See, once you become the criminal mastermind like me, then you will finally learn that when people fear you, they follow you. You give them the money that helps to feed them. Not many people are stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds them, you know." Hunter said to him.  
  
"Well, there are just a few people in this world who are stupid enough to do that Hunter." Chris said from behind them. Randy clenched his fists. Hunter looked at Randy for a moment. Before he could say anything, Batista and Rebecca re-entered the room.  
  
"Hunter!" Batista yelled curtly.  
  
"What?" Hunter asked, annoyed.  
  
"There's been a complication."  
  
//Don't tell me what you believe  
  
Cause you won't be there//  
  
"There always are, what's wrong this time?" Hunter asked him. Shawn looked at Chris and winked.  
  
"There's a whole bunch of cops headed this way." Hunter stared at him for a moment.  
  
"Are you sure that they were headed here?"  
  
"Positive. I scanned the CBC radio transmission to confirm." Rebecca said.  
  
"We need to finish this up so that we can get the hell out of here." Batista said. Hunter bit his lip and turned his back to them, as if considering the idea. After a few moments, he slammed his fist in the wall.  
  
//To catch me when I fall  
  
But you'll need me when I'm not here at all//  
  
Hunter spun back around and faced all of them. He had a small smirk in the corner of his mouth.  
  
"Randy," Hunter said, then paused. "Escort Liz and Cameron to the other holding room, then proceed to the Comm. Room and wait until I get there. Rebecca, Adriana, you go with him." Randy nodded and picked up Cameron to leave. Rebecca held a gun to the back of Liz's head to get her to move. "Oh, and Randy?" Randy turned around to face Hunter.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Don't screw me over on this one." Hunter warned.  
  
"Why would I?" Hunter smiled.  
  
"That's what I want to hear." Randy, Rebecca, and Adriana exited the room and Hunter walked over to a corner.  
  
//Miss me when I'm gone again, yeah//  
  
When he returned to the center of the room, he was holding a baseball bat. Chris looked up at him without much energy. Shawn glared at him, even though he was leaning back against the wall for support. Hunter's smile progressed from a sane smile to a sadistic grin.  
  
"Batista, get a good hold on Shawn, here. It's time to play ball." He said.  
  
//I'm going down in flames  
  
I'm falling into this again, yeah//  
  
Randy led the small group to holding room B, and opened the door. Once they were inside the room, and Liz and Cameron were safely out of the way, he showed his true colors.  
  
"All right, both of you, over in the corner." Randy demanded. He knew that he was screwed even before he started. He barely knew how to fire a gun, and unlike the two women he was trying to outsmart, he couldn't murder someone in cold blood.  
  
Rebecca aimed the gun at Randy. Randy barely blinked and pulled the trigger. In an amazing leap of luck, the gun went sprawling to the other side of the room, just like in the movies.  
  
"The corner, now." Randy ordered.  
  
"Hunter's gonna kill you." Adriana warned.  
  
"Not if Chris and Shawn kill him first."  
  
//I'm going down in flames  
  
I'm falling into this again//  
  
Shawn fell to the floor and coughed out the blood that had risen in his mouth. He laid on the ground for a few seconds, with his head simply resting on the cold, concrete floor. Then, he felt Batista's strong hands pulling him to his feet again. Hunter's grinning face came into view again, in the eye that was not swelled shut.  
  
"Having fun yet, Shawn?" Hunter asked. Shawn spat in his face. Batista swung him around and powerbombed him to the ground. There was a hug crack that echoed through the room when Shawn hit the ground. When Batista stood up, and Chris was able to see Shawn again, he was motionless on the ground. He didn't have much time to dwell on it, though. Hunter walked back into the dark corner and re-emerged with a sledgehammer. The baseball bat that he had been holding had broken on the first hit to Shawn.  
  
//Don't tell me how life is  
  
Cause I don't really want to know//  
  
Randy backed out of the door with Liz behind him, holding Cameron. He quickly shut the door and locked it electronically. Then, he took the butt of his gun and smashed the keypad. He turned around and handed Liz the other gun.  
  
"Why were you helping them?" Liz asked him, ignoring the gun that he was holding out to her.  
  
"Because I knew that we were going to need a way out of here. Take it." Randy told her. Cameron began to wake up.  
  
//Don't tell me how this game ends  
  
Cause we'll just see how it goes//  
  
"Why did you actually have to torture us? Why did you make Chris and Shawn think that you had betrayed them?" Liz asked him.  
  
"Liz, I will explain everything I can when I can, but now the more time that we waste is the more time that Hunter has to get away, or possibly kill Shawn and Chris, so TAKE THE DAMN GUN!!!!" Randy yelled in her face. Liz glared at him and took the gun.  
  
//Catch me when I fall  
  
Or you'll need me when I'm not here at all//  
  
"I ought to shoot you with this gun." Liz threatened him. Randy sighed angrily.  
  
"So shoot me then, dammit!! Get all of your anger and frustration out now!! But, let me tell you this, there is no way that you'll get back through this facility to the main doors without me. Now, either shoot me, or follow me, the choice is yours." Liz glared at him a moment longer, then swallowed.  
  
"Lead on."  
  
//Miss me when I'm gone again, yeah//  
  
Chris howled in pain as Hunter smashed his hand with the sledgehammer.  
  
"Hunter, we only have about 5 minutes until the cops get here. We need to finish this now." Batista warned him. Hunter smiled at him and nodded.  
  
"I know." He said. "Hold his head still."  
  
//I'm going down in flames  
  
I'm falling into this again, yeah//  
  
Randy began punching in the code for the door.  
  
"All right, you know what to do, right?" He asked Liz.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Good." He said, as the lock opened. He kicked the door open.  
  
//I'm going down in flames  
  
I'm falling into this again, yeah//  
  
Hunter had the sledgehammer held behind him, and was about to literally bust Chris head open with it. Randy took a shot at him, and luckily hit him. Batista whirled around, and Liz hit him square in the chest with a bullet. Randy looked back at her and smiled.  
  
"Nice shot."  
  
"Thanks." She ran over to check on Shawn first, and Randy grabbed Cameron, and brought him in the room to see his father. He glanced over at Hunter , who was about a second away from breaking Chris' neck. He turned to aim at him, and pulled the trigger.  
  
//Now, I'm all the way down here  
  
I'm falling//  
  
He missed.  
  
//All the way  
  
All the way down here//  
  
Hunter broke Chris' neck, and Liz screamed. Randy aimed the gun at him.  
  
"Put the guns down, NOW!! A voice yelled from behind him. Hunter smiled at him.  
  
//I'm falling down again  
  
Now I'm falling down//  
  
He'd won the game, and he knew it.  
  
//I'm falling down  
  
I'm falling down//  
  
Randy smiled back and ignored the person who kept screaming at him to holster his weapon.  
  
//I'm going down in flames  
  
I'm falling into this again,//  
  
He fired three bullets right into Hunter's chest.  
  
//I'm going down in flames  
  
I'm falling into this again//  
  
He watched with awkward awe as Hunter fell to the ground in slow motion.  
  
//Now, I'm all the way down here  
  
I'm falling//  
  
It was satisfying to say the least.  
  
//I'm all the way  
  
I'm all the way down here//  
  
As he felt himself being restrained, he saw Liz trying to tell the cops what had happened. He saw the paramedics rushing past him, checking on Shawn and Chris, and he had a horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he simply couldn't ignore.  
  
//I'm falling down again now  
  
I'm falling down//  
  
He had a feeling that one, if not both, of them was dead.  
  
**  
  
The song for this chapter is "Going Down in Flames" by 3 Doors Down. 


	72. Next to Nothing

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.  
  
A/N: I hate doing this, I really do. Unfortunately, I see no other alternative at the moment. This chapter is going to be the final chapter of this story. I simply don't know what else to do with it, or anything else that I can have happen that hasn't happened already in this story. I'm just going to call it quits while I'm ahead and I sincerely apologize for it. I have ideas for my other two stories, Lost in the Shadows, and Someday. Yet, nothing seems to come to mind about this story. I'm at a loss and I don't know what else to do. Not to mention, XA/N hasn't been up for a long time because of my lacking ideas on that one as well. I hope that you all understand and forgive me on this one. I promise to give this chapter the most I can. Thanks to everyone who has stayed with me on this long-ass thing. I appreciate it more than words can express. 287 Reviews is 287 more than I thought I'd ever have. Thank you for so much that you have given me. Now, without further ado, I give you the final chapter of Next to Nothing. Enjoy.  
  
**  
  
Randy sat in the pink plastic hospital chair next to Chris's bed. Liz was on the other side, sobbing. Behind her was Shawn's hospital bed. It had already been two weeks since Hunter had been killed. Chris wasn't in the best of shape, but he was at least awake. His neck was in a very complex brace. He was cracking jokes about how he could only eat the Jello since everything else was so horrible. Yet, Shawn remained unconscious, and unwavering in his condition. Cameron was sitting next to him, perhaps not really understanding what had happened, and what was still happening to his father.  
  
Randy had certainly withdrawn in his cocky attitude. His two father figures were in the hospital, and yes, they probably would've already been dead if it hadn't been for him. Yet, he somehow ultimately felt responsible. He simply wished that they would recover fully and everything could go back to normal and they could go on with their lives.  
  
That seemed impossible now.  
  
Chris was never going to be able to re-enter the ring. He was permanently out of action for good. His hand was severely disfigured to the point where he was not going to be able to use it. Since it was his right hand and, more importantly, his dominant hand, he was going to have to learn to write with his opposite hand. The hospital was going to help him with it, which was good. Randy changed his glance from Chris to Shawn.  
  
Shawn.  
  
Now, that was a completely different story. He was in a coma at the current moment. Each day that went by there was a smaller and smaller chance that he was going to wake up. Even if he did manage to wake up, he would never walk again. His back was in bad shape to begin with, but his spinal cord had been almost completely severed by the blow he had suffered at the hands of Batista. Things didn't get much worse than that. The doctor had said that even if he woke up and was in his wheelchair, his life expectancy was no longer than a year at the most. Randy felt the anger building up inside him once again, just thinking about it. It wasn't fair.  
  
"Randy? Hello? Earth to Randy!!" Chris said. When he didn't move or respond, he followed his gaze to Shawn. Chris felt his own anger rage again. Especially when he had to rotate his whole body to look at Shawn. It frankly pissed him off. He also hated himself for being awake at the same time that his best friend was laying on his deathbed. Nothing in life was fair. At least, not this life. Chris watched closely as Shawn looked like he was beginning to stir. Liz turned to look behind her. Randy stood up and walked numbly over to the bed. He sat in the chair that Cameron was occupying, and Cameron sat on his lap. Shawn breathed in sharply, and winced as he slowly opened his eyes.  
  
"Daddy?" Cameron asked cautiously. Shawn lifted up the corners of his mouth.  
  
"Yeah, Cam. Daddy's here." He whispered hoarsely. "I don't think I'll be here much longer, though."  
  
"Why not Daddy?" Cameron asked, with a trace of fear in his voice.  
  
"My time's running out, I guess. God must want to see a wrestling match in heaven." Randy and Chris both smiled a little at that. Shawn swallowed. "While I've still got the energy, I'm going to tell you all what you mean to me."  
  
"But you might still make it." Randy tried to tell him. Shawn shook his head.  
  
"No, I won't." he said certainly.  
  
"Shawn....." Liz started, but he ignored her.  
  
"Cameron, come here son." He told him. Cameron climbed onto the edge of the bed. "You are the best kid that I could've ever had. No matter what you want to be when you grow up, you CAN do it. I have absolutely no doubt about that. I'm proud to have you as my son, and" Shawn said, reaching around his neck. He grabbed a necklace and pulled it off. "I want you to have this. My father gave it to me, and now, I'm going to give it to you." Cameron put the necklace on with sad eyes. "I love you son."  
  
"I love you too, Daddy." Shawn turned to face Randy.  
  
"You are one of the sneakiest, cockiest bastards that I have ever known in my life, but I owe my life to you, and I hope that continue to wrestle after this. You've got a hell of a lot of talent, son. Don't let it go to waste on grieving over me. You're like a second son to me, and I'm honored to have known you. Take care of yourself." Randy nodded.  
  
"I will, Shawn." He said. He moved his chair out of the way, so that Liz could come over and talk to him.  
  
"Liz...." He said. "We had quite a ride didn't we? Take care of Cameron for me, will you? Chris might need some baby-sitting from time to time as well, so be sure to take care of him. And don't be crying those pretty tears for me, you're making your make-up run, sweetheart. Take care." Liz nodded and sat back down. Shawn turned to Chris, who was lying on his side, in order to be able to see him.  
  
"Chris, what can I say to you?" Shawn asked.  
  
"That you'll play father time and live forever." Chris told him. Shawn smirked and winced horribly as he took in a breath. Chris looked at him with ever growing tears in his eyes. He bit down on his tongue.  
  
"I couldn't do that if I wanted to, Chris. You have been the greatest friend I've ever known. Through the good times and the bad. We stuck together like glue. And we became friends just by you talking to me one day backstage. I owe many things to you as well, my friend."  
  
"Shawn, stop." Chris told him.  
  
"You have been a much greater friend than I ever deserved and for that I am truly grateful. You've been there through it all for me Chris. There's no way to repay anyone for that."  
  
"Shawn, stop it, I don't-"  
  
"You do." Shawn insisted, and lapsed into a coughing fit. After a few seconds, he cleared it up, and continued. "You do. And that's why, I want you to have my house."  
  
"No, I won't take it-"  
  
"Dammit Chris, just let me finish. Anything that you want is yours. You deserve it. That's my thank you to you. Please just let me do that, okay?" The tears that had threatened to fall earlier were falling now. If he could've shaken his head 'no' he would have, but he couldn't so he just remained stationary with the tears rolling down his face. "Good." Shawn said, and rolled back over in his bed. He closed his eyes and let out a huge sigh. Chris kept looking at him, watching his breathing, hoping that for once, Shawn would be horribly wrong about this. But, he watched in horror as the breathing became more and more shallow.  
  
"No." He said. "Shawn!! NO!!" He screamed. The faint beep-beep of the heart monitor went to one single, long, and continuous beep. Randy felt his insides churn. Liz covered her mouth and looked away. "Shawn!!!!!!!!!!!" Chris screamed and stumbled out of his bed.  
  
"Chris, get back into your bed!" Liz yelled. He ignored her, and stumbled over to Shawn's bed.  
  
"Shawn, you asshole, wake up!!! Don't leave me here like this!!! What about Cameron?!!" Chris screamed, trying to shake him, which was near impossible with his hand. The nurse and doctor rushed in and moved Chris back to his own bed screaming. Randy simply sat there and stared. He'd been given enough time to say his goodbyes, and then he was called away.  
  
Maybe life was fair in an odd way.  
  
Randy Orton returned to the ring not long after Shawn's death. He went on to win every single title it was possible for him to hold within the next two years. He was the one who wound up taking care of Cameron. He and the little boy bonded more than anyone thought they would.  
  
Five weeks after Shawn's death, Chris was able to walk around without a huge neck brace on, but he did have to wear a smaller one for about a year. In that time, he and Liz didn't get married as planned. Liz became pregnant and gave Chris a daughter. Chris never moved into Shawn's house, or took any of his things. Instead, he opened it as a museum to the public. Everything was kept exactly the same as Shawn had left it.  
  
Chris never wrestled again, but he did return to the WWE. He became the lead announcer, after Jim Ross retired from the post. Chris and Randy were often seen together backstage, picking on each other much like two brothers, or a father and a son would. Both men remained the best of friends throughout the rest of their years. Even Liz went to work for WWE a few years after Chris did. She became the ring announcer.  
  
Life went on slowly and harshly, but it did indeed continue.  
  
//At least this way,  
  
I just can't take your breath away  
  
You cut me down,  
  
You know I'll always be around,  
  
So now I wait,  
  
I know you'll live another day,  
  
Come and take my breath away,  
  
Look me straight and say,  
  
Cause you know it's over,  
  
Growing colder,  
  
I need something,  
  
You leave me next to nothing  
  
All we ever wanted,  
  
I need something  
  
Leave me next to nothing,  
  
Next to nothing  
  
I cut you down,  
  
I know you'll always be around  
  
So now you'll wait,  
  
I know you'll live another day  
  
Come and take my breath away  
  
Look me straight and say  
  
Cause you know its over  
  
Growing colder  
  
I need something  
  
Leave me next to nothing  
  
all we ever wanted  
  
I need something  
  
Leave me next to nothing  
  
Next to nothing  
  
Next to nothing  
  
Cause you know its over  
  
Growing colder  
  
I need something  
  
Leave me next to nothing  
  
All we ever wanted  
  
I need something  
  
Leave me next to nothing  
  
Next to nothing, yeah//  
  
THE END 


End file.
